Is Having Children a Patriotic Duty?
Low birth rates, combined with large pension obligations, could spell trouble. That's why, according to several recent articles, many countries are now offering incentives to encourage natural parenting. Immigration reform is another approach.
Without change, countries such as Japan expect to cut pension benefits precipitously. Companies are worried too. A labor shortage could erode profitability in a big way.
There are so many questions. It's hard to know where to start.
1. Is it an invasion of privacy for national policy-makers to encourage individual lifestyle choices in order to preserve social benefits and promote "the greater good"?
2. Will working women respond to financial incentives to give birth or fret that it could deter them from climbing the corporate ladder?
3. Will child-free adults feel like social miscasts for not having children?
4. What should companies spend to create a "child friendly" work space and how will it impact shareholder value?
5. What is the nature of optimal immigration reform?
6. Should companies reach out to already retired workers and how could that affect the workplace dynamic between Generation X and Baby Boomers?
These, and a host of other queries, will keep politicians, sociologists and business professionals busy for months to come.
For background reading, try these articles.
1. "Cash Incentives Aren't Enough To Lift Fertility" by Mark Fritz, The Wall Street Journal, August 17, 2006
2. "Retiree benefits grow into 'monster'" by Dennis Cauchon, USA Today, May 24, 2006
3. "Low Japan birth rate may force pension cuts-report", Reuters, July 2, 2006
