by Mac Slavo
SHTF Plan
How severe has the economic recession since 2007 been? How thin the recovery?
Enough that the birth rate, which partially reflects financial stability vs. stress, has fallen off more dramatically than at any other time in American history, and much more than experts even expected.
In fact, the nation has fallen sharply below replacement rate since the time of the 2008 crisis.
The conundrum is that it is a growing population that corresponds with economic growth, and decline inhibits the social signals that encourage more births (like feeling secure enough to afford the extra expenses and effort of a child).