News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by danybittel on Saturday March 18, 2023 @02:28AM (#35206680)
So the crisis is that there are not enough products and services for an aging population. That's a different crisis than low birth rates, that should be solved differently.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by shjake on Saturday March 18, 2023 @02:40AM (#35206735)
Well until we have robots which can fully replace many/most jobs people do, the only way solve that is by increasing the proportion of working age people to those who are retired.

There are no other options. You can do that by either increasing immigration or birth rates. That’s it.

Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by HALtheWise on Saturday March 18, 2023 @06:19AM (#35207798)
One other (bad) option is raising the retirement age or lowering the start-work age.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by Ekaros on Saturday March 18, 2023 @09:17AM (#35208869)
Maybe the solution is simply to end retirement. As in end the social security for old people.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by ianai on Saturday March 18, 2023 @12:44PM (#35210628)
It’s already set high enough that the years past that point aren’t productive. Social security and Medicare/Medicaid were a response to advanced age meaning destitution, poverty, and horrific suffering.

It’s essentially UBI and universal healthcare that winds up making a lot of demand for younger workers. Keeps the grandparents able to help raise kids, if wanted/suitable.

Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by qwytw on Sunday March 19, 2023 @09:47AM (#35218853)
Maybe we could also recycle old people into fertilizer to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by CommanderData on Saturday March 18, 2023 @06:32AM (#35207855)
Once we have robots doing most jobs, heck why even have babies?
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by houseinthesky on Saturday March 18, 2023 @08:24AM (#35208515)
> until we have robots which can fully replace many/most jobs people do

Most people's jobs aren't necessary for a functioning society. If you look at say, agriculture, transportation, energy, sanitation, infrastructure, etc, what percent of the total population is employed in those fields, 5-10% maybe?

Society will be fine for a long time with drastically dwindling population, we'll just see a contraction of the "bullshit jobs" which have become the mainstay of post-industrial societies, with a higher percent of people employed in fields which are actually producing something of value for society.

Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by danybittel on Saturday March 18, 2023 @12:56PM (#35210775)
What we need is a Agricultural Revolution in the Health sector. As it stands, it is way too people intensive.
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by asplake on Saturday March 18, 2023 @02:32AM (#35206698)
By whom? Sustained how?
Re:Community’s 25yrs without a newborn shows scale of Japan’... by navane on Saturday March 18, 2023 @05:52PM (#35213458)
Well first, this is a problem that's gone regardless in fifty years. After the fat ripple has left our demography, there will be many vacant homes, lots of wide open highways, plenty of arable land, all to be attained for little by this shrinking population.

Second, this "crisis" is entirely brought upon themselves by the generation that will have want for people to "support them". Cut out elderly healthcare and the majority of your shortage is gone.

Third, there are plenty of people available for this support, as many of the jobs these youngsters do today are only done because they are very attractive in the current economic system. If the population as a whole agrees that this "crisis" is indeed a crisis, there is enough labor to step up.