The world's baby shortfall is so bad that the labor shortage will last for years, major employment firms predict

Photo of a mother and child. (Credit: Miguel Pereira—Getty Images)

“Demographic shifts” can mean many things. The composition of a body of people—median age, ethnic makeup, and more—all fall into the category.

But in the context of the labor shortage that has gripped the world economy since the pandemic began, it has coincided with one of Elon Musk’s big worries: The world isn’t having enough babies.