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☆ Europe could be drifting into a downturn as France and Germany fight economic and political woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Europe could be drifting in to a downturn as its biggest economies, Germany and France, fight political and economic woes at home. In Germany, composite purchasing manager's index (PMI data) measuring business activity in both sectors, came in at XXXX, down from XXX in August. In France, meanwhile, the composite PMI fell in September to an eight-month low of 47.4 from 53.1 in August. In the euro zone as a whole, the PMI data showed a decline from XXX last month to XXX, in September. Once Europe's poster-child for growth, Germany is now likened to the "sick man" of Europe by economists.

Persons: Pariser, —, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, J.P, Greg Fuzesi Organizations: Pariser Platz, PMI, Social Democratic Party, SPD Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe, France, Brandenberg, Thuringia, Saxony, Morgan

☆ Throwing money at plunging birth rates won't solve the issue, demography experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Lancet study forecasts that by 2100, over 97% of countries will have fertility rates below the population replacement level. AdvertisementThe Japanese government has also tried to boost fertility rates by offering up to a year of parental leave and even cash incentives. In South Korea, the least fertile country in the world, Seoul is offering people money to reverse their vasectomies or untie their tubes. However, according to Trent MacNamara, a Texas A&M professor whose work has focused on fertility rates, throwing money at the problem can only do so much. Harper said that instead of throwing money at the issue, the biggest chance for success is through promoting gender equity.

Persons: —, isn't, Trent MacNamara, MacNamara, Sarah Harper, Harper, Philip N, Cohen, it's Organizations: Service, Business, gerontology, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Maryland Locations: Tokyo, South Korea, Seoul, Texas

☆ Falling birth rates are freaking countries out and spawning dubious fixes like tax breaks, cheaper cars, and free surgery
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewAs fertility rates decline across much of the world, countries are exploring innovative strategies to encourage women to have more babies. Trent MacNamara, a Texas A&M professor whose work has focused on fertility rates, told BI that the impact of financial incentives on fertility rates was uncertain and might lead to only modest gains. Subsidized fertility treatments and vasectomy reversalsCohen said that other strategies to increase fertility rates included countries like Israel offering free or heavily subsidized in vitro fertilization. However, a 2020 essay by Tan said the Japanese example showed that reproductive technologies were not a panacea for low fertility rates. Japan has the world's highest percentage of babies born through IVF, yet it has one of the lowest fertility rates, she said.

Persons: —, Sarah Harper, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, ATTILA KISBENEDEK, Trent MacNamara, Poh Lin Tan, Philip N, Cohen, Antonio Marquez lanza, Tan, MacNamara Organizations: Service, Business, Bloomberg, Local, gerontology, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, BBC, Associated Press, National University of Singapore, University of Maryland, American Economic Association, Getty Locations: Singapore, South Korea, Soviet, Russian, Hungarian, Hungary, Texas, Norway, Sweden, Israel, Japan, Korea

☆ Trust in AI tools like ChatGPT is high among Gen Z — but Gen X and boomers aren't convinced, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Most Gen Xers and boomers in a Salesforce study reported not using generative-AI tools like ChatGPT. Out of all the respondents who said they didn't use generative AI, 68% were born between 1946 and 1980. And 88% of nonusers ages 57 and above said they weren't using generative AI because they didn't know how the technology would affect their lives. AdvertisementAdvertisementFrom firsthand experience, Rogers said he believed that AI technology could make a positive impact on the lives of people about his age. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn fact, the Salesforce research suggested that older nonusers were open to using AI under certain circumstances.

Persons: Xers, —, Gen Xers, Zers, Chris Rogers, Rogers, he'd, he's, Priscilla O'Kesson Organizations: Service, University of Oxford's Institute, Population Ageing, Spectrum Locations: San Francisco, UK, Australia, India, Oklahoma City, Oxford

☆ China issues guidance for basic elderly care system by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, May 21 (Reuters) - China has issued guidance to all provinces to build a basic elderly care system by 2025, state-run Xinhua news agency said on Sunday, in the latest step to prevent a demographic crisis. "Promoting the construction of the basic elderly care service system is an important task for implementing the national strategy of actively responding to population ageing and achieving equalisation of basic public services," Xinhua said. It said the guidelines require all provinces to implement a list of basic elderly care services, based on factors such as economic and social development level and financial situation. Provinces must improve the basic pension system service and implement a long-term care security system that connects insurance, welfare and assistance, the statement said. The state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences sees the pension system running out of money by 2035.

Passengers help a baby wear a mask at the Shanghai railway station in China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China will enact policies to boost its birth rate, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, as policymakers worry that an imminent decline in China's population could hurt the world's second-biggest economy. "We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing," Xi told some 2,300 delegates in a speech opening the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing. Its fertility rate of 1.16 in 2021 was below the 2.1 OECD standard for a stable population and among the lowest in the world. Still, the desire among Chinese women to have children is the lowest in the world, a survey published in February by think-tank YuWa Population Research showed.

☆ Factbox: Key Xi quotes at China's 20th Communist Party Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 16, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We persist in striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity. "Corruption is the biggest cancer that harms the vitality and combat effectiveness of the party, and anti-corruption is the most thorough self-revolution. FOREIGN POLICY"We have comprehensively promoted major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics ... and unswervingly opposed any unilateralism, protectionism and bullying. POPULATION"We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing."

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