(CREDIT: GERALT/PIXABAY) Dear maria, Ultralow fertility rates in high-income economies make for rapid population-aging and pose challenges for governments, economies, and the sustainability of social security systems, write economists Matthias Doepke, Anne Hannusch, Fabian Kindermann and Michele Tertilt for F&D online. There has been a fundamental economic transformation: in many high-income countries women now participate in the labor force for much of their lives, the authors write. The earlier pattern of a woman entering the labor market but dropping out following marriage and children is now the exception rather than the norm. The compatibility of women’s careers and families is key. “Investing in gender equality—and especially the labor market prospects of potential mothers—may be cumbersome in the short run, but the medium- and long-term benefits will be sizable, for both the economy and society.” Visit F&D online for the latest insights from leading thinkers on the critical economic challenges of the day. Recent contributors include Tharman Shanmugaratnum, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Eswar Prasad, Raj Chetty, Barry Eichengreen, Patricia Clavin, and many others. Want to get a print copy delivered to your home or office? | 
