Current:Home > FinanceShopping for parental benefits around the world -Edge Finance Strategies
Shopping for parental benefits around the world
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:09:49
It is so expensive to have a kid in the United States. The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries worldwide with no federal paid parental leave; it offers functionally no public childcare (and private childcare is wildly expensive); and women can expect their pay to take a hit after becoming a parent. (Incidentally, men's wages tend to rise after becoming fathers.)
But outside the U.S., many countries desperately want kids to be born inside their borders. One reason? Many countries are facing a looming problem in their population demographics: they have a ton of aging workers, fewer working-age people paying taxes, and not enough new babies being born to become future workers and taxpayers. And some countries are throwing money at the problem, offering parents generous benefits, even including straight-up cash for kids.
So if the U.S. makes it very hard to have kids, but other countries are willing to pay you for having them....maybe you can see the opportunity here. Very economic, and very pregnant, host Mary Childs did. Which is why she went benefits shopping around the world. Between Sweden, Singapore, South Korea, Estonia, and Canada, who will offer her the best deal for her pregnancy?
For more on parental benefits and fertility rates:
- When the Kids Grow Up: Women's Employment and Earnings across the Family Cycle
- The other side of the mountain: women's employment and earnings over the family cycle
- Career and Families by Claudia Goldin
- Parental Leave Legislation and Women's Work: A Story of Unequal Opportunities
- Parental Leave and Fertility: Individual-Level Responses in the Tempo and Quantum of Second and Third Births
- Societal foundations for explaining low fertility: Gender equity
- Motherhood accounts for almost all of South Korea's gender employment gap
- UN Population Division Data Portal
- Subsidizing the Stork: New Evidence on Tax Incentives and Fertility
Today's show was hosted by Mary Childs. It was produced by James Sneed, edited by Jess Jiang, fact checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Music: SourceAudio - "The Joy," "Lost In Yesterday," "Lo-Fi Coffee," and "High Up."
veryGood! (2663)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Why Gymnast Dominique Dawes Wishes She Had a Better Support System at the Olympics
- Revisiting Josh Hartnett’s Life in Hollywood Amid Return to Spotlight
- Sheila Jackson Lee, longtime Texas congresswoman, dies at 74
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Delta Air Lines says cancellations continue as it tries to restore operations after tech outage
- Arike Ogunbowale and Caitlin Clark lead WNBA All-Stars to 117-109 win over U.S. Olympic team
- Fact-checking 'Twisters': Can tornadoes really be stopped with science?
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Plane crash in Ohio leaves 3 people dead; NTSB, FAA investigating
Ranking
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Marine accused of using Nazi salute during the Capitol riot sentenced to almost 5 years in prison
- Man fatally shot in apparent road-rage incident in Indianapolis; police investigating
- Behind Biden’s asylum halt: Migrants must say if they fear deportation, not wait to be asked
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Jake Paul rides chariot into ring vs. Mike Perry, says he's God's servant
- ‘Twisters’ whips up $80.5 million at box office, while ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ looms
- Global Microsoft CrowdStrike outage creates issues from Starbucks to schools to hospitals
Recommendation
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Maine trooper in cruiser rear-ended, injured at traffic stop, strikes vehicle he pulled over
Trump returns to the campaign trail in Michigan with his new running mate, Vance, by his side
Florida man arrested after alleged threats against Donald Trump, JD Vance
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter
Shop the Chic Plus Size Fashion Deals at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale 2024: SPANX, Good American & More
A fire severely damages the historic First Baptist Dallas church sanctuary