#JobMarketConcerns #ParentingDecisions #FutureGenerations
Hey everyone! ๐
I’ve been having some pretty deep conversations lately about the whole idea of having kids, especially with how the job market has changed over the years.
I know a couple of friends who initially decided to start a family during the pandemic because they thought, "Hey, remote work is the future!" But, as we all know, that reality shifted pretty quickly, leaving them grappling with rising childcare costs and job insecurities. ๐
Itโs hard not to notice how different things are now compared to a couple of decades ago. Back in the day, one income could comfortably support a family of fourโno sweat! Now? Itโs like both parents have to work just to get by, and even that can feel like a struggle.
Now, my neighbors have taken a stand and decided not to have kids at all. Theyโre convinced that even if the job market improves, it will inevitably dip again, and they donโt want to roll those dice. ๐ฌ
Consider this:
- ๐ In 30 years, the world population could hit 10 billion.
- ๐ We already canโt sustain the 8 billion we have nowโthere aren’t enough resources to go around.
- ๐ผ The job market is tightening, with fewer good opportunities.
Honestly, it’s a bit scary when you lay it all out like that. So, what’s the answer here?
Possible Solutions:
- Universal Basic Income (UBI): Could this provide a safety net and encourage more families to thrive?
- Affordable Childcare Initiatives: Investing in these could take a load off parents and make starting a family more feasible.
- Job Training Programs: Helping people upskill could better prepare them for the evolving job landscape.
What do you guys think? Have you or your friends reconsidered having kids because of these job market challenges? Or, if you are a parent, what adjustments have you made to navigate this situation? Share your stories or any tips you might have! ๐๐ #ParentingJourney #JobMarketReality
I don’t think it’s that specific.
Your question more likely should reference economic situation rather than the “difficulty” to find a job.
Not hard to get a job at all. Hard to find a job that pays *all* the bills.
People are actually not having kids anymore. Not sure where the extra 2 billion people will be coming from. Millennials literally are doing anything but having children.
It’s not just the difficulty of getting a job.
– it’s the difficulty of getting into decent elementary, junior, and high schools.
– the difficulty of finding affordable childcare
– the rising cost of everything. It costs $300k to raise one child to adulthood.
– it’s basically anything and everything where more people is creating to much upward pressure on the pricing of everything.
Iโm childfree for other reasons but now that you mention it ima add this to my list.
Yep, the job and housing market are so bleak and degrees are mostly worthless
I decided against having kids a long time ago, but when the question came up and tested my thoughts on the matter again, the economy was definitely front of mind when I decided to definitely, never, ever have kids. If I had kids, I’d have wanted to give them certain types of legs up that just aren’t in reach for most of us.
I will say that most of the jobs I have had seemed to prioritize promoting and retaining parents and the one I have right now absolutely gives them maximum flexibility. So I do sometimes wonder if kids create a certain security for folks, but it’s not something I’d want to count on.
Spoiler alert: they are going to make you carry kids to term anyway.ย
Corpos need warm bodies for their starvation wage jobs.
Why would I voluntarily want to make my life even more difficult by adding another human I am legally obligated to take care of to the equation?
If you don’t want kids, don’t have them. But also don’t think you’re somehow better than everyone else, which is how these posts usually read.ย
Lots of times people having kids are worried about the future, and over time they really become a happy successful family. Having a two parent household is a huge step up with the support system than having one person trying to do everything by themselves as well.
Just think if you had a great experience with someone who helped you at a restaurant, with a sale, or just thought that person was really smart. It would be great to have more people like them in the world.
$300,000 to raise a kid sure is a lot though I hear what youโre saying.
If youโre in the San Diego area I can have you a job paying 23/hr by the end of todayโฆ.
More like cost of living.
Iโm kind of getting to that point. Itโs sad because I always wanted kids when I was growing up and thought one day I would have them. But then I learned about how difficult motherhood truly is and I donโt think Iโm jog to that sacrifice. Iโm single and I could probably meet a guy who would want to support me as a stay at home mom, but I donโt want to live like that either. Iโm proud of my education and passionate about what I studied and I want to put it to good use in a career.
Iโm not going to rule out fostering and adopting or becoming a step parent some day, but Iโm 36 and single and unemployed and I just donโt picture myself getting married and getting a steady job in time to have a biological kid. And I have always hated the idea of pregnancy and fertility treatments. I just donโt see myself being up for it even though I would like to be a parent. I just with it were easier. And oh my god, why is childcare so expensive?!?!
But there’s another problem here…
You won’t be able to retire. When you do get that job, you will work it until you die. There won’t be anyone to replace you in the market. There also won’t be anyone to fund your retirement with SS and taxes.
The overpopulation is also stemming from people living too long. We aren’t dying as we should be. Also, where did you get the 10 billion people theory? I’m hearing the opposite, the population is actually going to get smaller. People are having less kids, and why, if the overpopulation thing is true, are politicians in the US pushing for child tax credits? They wouldn’t do that if people were having too many kids, why are they trying to encourage people?
The job market goes in and out of fads as the years go. The market is going to crash soon, but guess what? It will bounce back. The pendulum has to swing in the other direction, it can’t stop.
It just sounds like you don’t want kids, and that’s absolutely fine. Just don’t be a doomer about it.
I went to college and have a decent career, but Iโm 30 years old and still no where close to being ready to have a child. In my mid 20s, I thought it might happen, but now the older I get, the less I want it. The economy being the main reason and me just not wanting extra stressors in my life being the second reason.
I had a traumatic childhood and feel like Iโve been trying to nurture my inner child for my entire adult life. I raised 2 siblings. I donโt see it in the cards for me.
I lost my job in April and was unemployed for about 4 months. I don’t have any kids, but if I did then my stress lvls would’ve been a lot higher. I’m employed now, but I don’t make enough to support another person. Hell, I can barely afford to take care of myself. I’m trying to get a second job, but no one wants to higher someone that can only work weekends