Fewer babies being born; 5 reasons it matters to you

With the U.S. birth rate at a record low, it impacts everything from school enrollments to  the economy to government budgets. Here are five things to know about the declining birth rate.

1. The decline cuts across all racial and ethnic boundaries but the largest percentage decline — 38 percent — was among Hispanic women aged 20 to 24 between 2007 and 2015.

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2. Employers will find it even harder to fill jobs if there are fewer people of working age.

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3. Experts say the economic dislocation caused by the Great Recession and its aftermath has likely made young women more cautious about having children.

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4. The lower birth rate cuts into consumer purchasing, everything from diapers and toys when the child is young to houses and cars when he or she grows up.

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5. Fewer babies translates into less people to to pay taxes and contribute to Social Security and Medicare.

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