Plummeting Birthrates Threaten Economic Growth and Strain Social Safety Net

Millennials having fewer kids is dragging down economic growth more than expected, potentially cutting GDP by up to 4 percentage points
The US birthrate has plunged 53% since 1960 and keeps dropping, putting the country at risk of extremely low population levels
Fewer workers means labor shortages in jobs like hairdressing and healthcare over the long run
It will be harder to fund Social Security and Medicare with fewer younger workers supporting more retirees
Cultural attitudes celebrating child-free living may need to shift to avoid birthrates spiraling even lower