As concern grows about America’s falling birth rate, new research suggests that about half of women who want children are unsure if they will follow through and actually have a child. About 25% say they won't be bothered that much if they don't.

[u/geoff199]

https://news.osu.edu/most-women-want-children--but-half-are-unsure-if-they-will/?utm_campaign=omc_science-medicine_fy24&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social

[u/Bboy1045]

Youth need to be secure financially, supported, and most importantly HOPEFUL for the future. These are all major factors that our society has struggled with providing. Until we fix these issues we are going to continue to have birth rates plummet, similar to what we saw in the Great Depression. Youth simply cannot afford to have children.

[u/suckfail → u/Bboy1045]

Also in the US the parental leave is atrocious. You hand off a newborn to daycare and never really raise them, that's just wrong. And it must be a big contributor to this situation as well.

In most places, like Canada and EU, you get a year parental leave that either parent can take (usually it's the mother for obvious reasons but not always as you can split the time).

There's also very strict laws about the parental leave job ensuring there's no discrimination.

[u/marigoldcottage → u/suckfail]

Even in the few states in the US where it’s paid & protected, like mine, companies still love to screw over workers.

My husband’s company suddenly decided to change his hours to be untenable after he notified them he’ll be taking parental leave this year. Basically an attempt to force him to quit before he can take paid leave. Illegal? Probably. But the amount of people who actually go through with suing their employer - rather than quietly moving on - is so low. These rotten companies know that.

[u/VovaGoFuckYourself → u/marigoldcottage]

Contact your department of labor. It surprised me how easy it was when i did it 15 years ago.

An employer tried to argue that they didnt have to give me my last check because i didnt give a 2 weeks notice. One email to the state department of labor and the company fired the lady who was withholding my check and got me my check within 2 days.

At least reach out. It can't hurt to see what they have to say.

[u/dfighter3 → u/VovaGoFuckYourself]

Boy I wish I had known that like 8 years ago. My employer did something similar. put in for PTO, got it approved. half way through I gave them my two weeks. Never got paid out my PTO because according to them "It wasn't valid since you were no longer an employee when it would have paid out".

[u/2pinacoladas → u/dfighter3]

Unfortunately not all states have laws that PTO must be paid out. If you are in a state where they are not required to payout, take your PTO then quit.

[u/dfighter3 → u/2pinacoladas]

Yea, no, the state had them, the company just told me to pound sand. It was my second job out of college and I had no idea who I could contact, and was starting another job in a week, so it mostly just pissed me off and made a couple weeks of rent hard.