| Once upon a time it was thought that the | | | | was coming in." |
| inauguration of President Obama would lead to a | | | | The birth rate in 2007 broke a 50 year old record |
| brighter future for the U.S. and an increase in the | | | | high but declined approximately 2% in all but 10 |
| birth of babies, but that has not been the case. In | | | | states in 2008 according to last week's National |
| fact, the birth rate declined in 2008, the first | | | | Vital Statistics Provisional Data Report for 2008. |
| annual decline since the start of the decade and all | | | | The relatively unaffected states were less |
| indicators show the decline may continue through | | | | severely affected by the recession. In the first |
| 2009. "Births are now predominantly planned and | | | | three months of 2009, births declined 7% in |
| not very responsive to good news," according to | | | | Florida and Arizona and 2.6% in California, its first |
| University of Chicago demographer and | | | | decline since 2001. One might also contend that |
| sociologist, Donald Bogue. This may help explain | | | | couples are waiting longer to get married and |
| why the Obama baby boom never developed. | | | | start families and that the current child producing |
| Not surprisingly, the economy can certainly be | | | | population is more centered on "me" than on "we". |
| blamed for Americans having fewer babies. If you | | | | Data from 2009 will be critical when considering |
| are uncertain about the future, having a child is | | | | the start date of the current recession to be in |
| viewed as a bad idea, especially given the amount | | | | December 2007 or early 2008. Given that the |
| of money needed to raise and educate a child | | | | state of the economy is much worse than that |
| through to adulthood. With college prices soaring | | | | of the 1970s, all measures and indicators point to |
| and a degree becoming a necessity in the hiring | | | | a birth rate decline. However, Mark Mather, |
| process, the average cost to raise a child born in | | | | demographer with the Population Reference |
| 2009 will total $266,698. That figure includes a | | | | Bureau has also suggested that the recent decline |
| four year college degree from a public university | | | | in immigration to the U.S. may be a contributing |
| averaging $12,796 annually and a cost of $11,973 | | | | factor as well. It will certainly be interesting to see |
| for the child's first year of life. | | | | the official vital statistics data once 2009 comes |
| The rate of Birth Announcements has historically | | | | to an end. |
| changed with the economy. Record low birth | | | | Although our new President did not spark an |
| rates were reported during the Depression of the | | | | upswing in births, it is interesting to note that the |
| 1930s and during the oil embargo of the 1970s | | | | name Barack for new babies set a record on the |
| when feminism was also on the rise and birth | | | | Social Security Administration's annual Most |
| control options expanded. In the 1970s the | | | | Popular Baby Names list by shooting up more |
| economy almost dictated that there are two | | | | than 10,000 spots. It went from number 12,535 in |
| wage earners in a family. Stephanie Coontz, a | | | | 2007 to number 2,409 in 2008 with projections |
| professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, | | | | for it to hit the top 1,000 this year. |
| Washington, and research director for the Council | | | | So if you are one of the fortunate to receive |
| on Contemporary Families, a research and | | | | Baptism Invitations or Christening Invitations in the |
| advocacy group said, "More than 80 percent of | | | | mail, know that in the year ahead we may well |
| the job losses in this recession have been borne | | | | see a sharp decline in Baby Birth Announcements |
| by men. There are a lot of families where a | | | | as we await the official birth rate figures for 2009 |
| maternity leave would mean that no income at all | | | | and projections for 2010. |