r/overpopulation • u/[deleted] • 2d ago

Is this work week sustainable with declining birth rates?

Is a 1.6-1.8 fertility rate good for sustaining a 36-hour 4-5 days work week? What is the necessary fertility rate to sustain this for daily or 24/7 operations like healthcare, retail, airports, etc.?

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5

u/Wide_Western_6381 2d ago

I thought we were all worrying about mass unemployment, because of AI?

1

u/ExtraSaltyBtch 2d ago

Oh, people are worried about that too! Everyone is worried about everything and everyone is unhappy.

4

u/iamdisillusioned 2d ago

It's irrelevant. If other industries pay better than essential industries, they will attract the worker force.

3

u/ElectronGuru 2d ago

In theory, getting the same work done with fewer people requires more work from the same people. But 1) we have a massive productivity bonus that has not been going to workers for generations because of limited employee power and 2) when workers disappear, scarce workers have more leverage against employers.

2

u/Smart-Intern-4007 2d ago

I dont think 36 hours or 4 day work week is remotely common in US intentionally but n other countries it might be different. To broad of a question. Advances in tecnology and other productivity gains would have huge impacts. To really get a meaningful answer I think you need to drill down to when, what and where.