It seems counter-intuitive, but 9 months after Covid-19 lockdowns began, two dozen states reported a 7% drop in their birth rates; and, the Brookings Institution is predicting “a large, lasting baby bust” in 2021.
The explanation? “It’s not the main reason births have declined during the pandemic, but social distancing doesn’t exactly lend itself to romance,” CBS News says. Read story here.
It’s not really news, either. The U.S. birth rate has trended downward for decades, and fell below “replacement rate” some time ago. This is the rate at which our population would shrink without immigration. It’s no secret that our workforce and economy need immigrants to keep growing. So why are Republicans so anti-immigrant? Can’t you figure it out?
Photo: What if they establish a maternity ward and nobody comes?