The economy of the United States seems to be rebounding and here's a pretty big sign—more women are deciding to have babies. The birth rate among women 15 to 44 years old increased by 1 percent from 2013 to 2014, marking the first time the birth rate has increased since 2007.
"The decline of the birth rate over the past few years can be attributed to the recession," said Carl Haub, senior demographer for the Population Reference Bureau, reported USA Today.
Haub further stated that despite the relatively small increase in the fertility rate, the numbers represent a significant shifting trend, which is usually aligned with an improving economy. "The recession is ending—we think it's ending—for some people, so we might attribute a rise in the birth rate," he added.
Brady Hamilton of the National Center for Health Statistics, who is one of the authors of the report, stated that the results were quite a shock, according to NPR. "We were somewhat anticipating, at some point, a reversal or a secession of the downward trend. But still, nonetheless, it was a bit of a surprise for us," he said.
Laura Lindberg, a principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, believes that improvements in the economic stability of Americans played a big role in the increase, according to USA Today. "I think, as people feel their paycheck is more stable, it feels like a safe environment to have a child in," she said.
The economic environment shows signs of continued improvement—job growth steadily increased, with 223,000 jobs gained in April 2015, and consumer spending on retail items climbed up 12 percent in May.
