I heard from reader EW in reference to my post yesterday about an LA Times article examining the impact of economic hard times on the birthrate:
Just read your piece with the reference to the (very interesting) LA Times article. Here’s my situation, which is slightly different than those portrayed in the article. My husband and I got married a few months ago and planned to start our family, however, I was recently laid off from my job. We have plenty of money saved and health insurance through my husband’s job. The problem is, I’d like to work during— and after— pregnancy. No one wants to hire a pregnant woman who is going to go out on maternity leave for months, and with the competition stiff with so many people out of work, employers can afford not to hire someone who has a year out of the workforce. So no baby for us… not right now, anyway.
How does a slumping economy impact your decision to have children? If you have a perspective on this question or have another angle to share, send me an e-mail at kelly.bennett@voiceofsandiego.org.