This is a copy of my research paper draft. Please comment on some things I can work on and what is good about it! Thanks!
Robert Dalessandro
Professor Akers
English 102
28 July 2021
There is a massive increase in the rate of population growth in the United States. For generations the United States population growth has grown fast due to lots of immigration and high fertility rates until the year of 2020, which the pandemic hit America. It is estimated that the population growth has not been this slow since The Great Depression. New York has had the highest decrease in population than any other state. During the pandemic, 126,000 of New York's people were lost. That is about 0.65% of their population that was lost. Some states, which the majority of are in the South are growing fast, but not fast enough to increase the national rate (The Economist). Data collected for the 2020 census shows that it is the second smallest decade-long growth in America's history (Frey).
Ever since 1900, there has never been a year that has seen such a slow rate that 2020 saw. Population estimates have shown that from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020, the United States grew only 0.35%, which is the lowest the annual growth rate has been since the 1900. After the year of 2000, the country's growth rate had a significant decrease, especially after the Great Recession. From the year 2019 to 2020, the rate of growth was the slowest it has ever been for the past 102 years. One reason why there was such a massive decrease in growth was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused an increase in deaths and immigration restrictions. It is suggested that only increasing immigration will drive the growth to increase in the United States (Frey).
The United States has been the fastest growing countries in the industrialized world. During World War I and the Spanish flu, the growth was faster than the growth during the pandemic through the year to July. An estimate by William Frey of the Brookings Institution states that the expansion in the decade to July 2020 at only 6.6%. If that estimate is correct, that will be the lowest rate since the 1790's (Times).
Not only is there a decrease in population growth, but there is also a decrease in how mobile Americans are. Due to the massive increase in cost of housing, it made it more difficult for younger Americans to move. In the year to March, only 9.3% of the U.S population moved. Earlier in 2020, a paper published by Kyle Mangum of the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia analyzed why people moved less frequently than their parents did. He states that technology nowadays, like air-conditioning, opened territory for settlement. The internet has also given people the option of not having to move to find work. Nowadays, during the pandemic, a lot of work was remote (Times). During the pandemic, only 9.3% of Americans changed residence than in any year since 1947. This was when the Census Bureau's began the collection of annual migration statistics. Migration declines were a majority of younger adults that remained "stuck in place" (Frey). The rates of mobility are estimated to increase in the years 2020 to 2021 because the pandemic related migration from cities or moving back in with family members will rise. As the pandemic subsides, the long-term stagnation will possibly reemerge (Frey).
According to the estimates from the Census Bureau's National Demographic Analysis, it suggests that the 2020 census will highlight the growth divide between the old and the young in America. People aged 55 or older grew by 27%, which is 20 times bigger than the growth rate of the people who are aged 55 and under (1.3%), between the years of 2010 and 2020. The major cause of this divide is the baby boomer generation. People who passed the age of 65 during 2010 to 2020 increased the size of the 65 to 74 age group by a half. Millennials, which is the younger generation, helped increased the growth of the 25 to 34 years old population. The smaller generations that followed the millennials decreased that growth rate down close to zero. It is estimated to see a growth in the baby boomer generation and their 55 and older population. For the younger population, migration will determine whether or not an area registers a gain or loss of young people. Twenty states show a gain in population of young people due to the in-migration (people from the outside of the country and from other states) of the youth and families that have children (Frey).
Over the years of 2010 between 2019, there was a brief decline in the United States white population by 16,612. If this is confirmed in the 2020 census, the years 2010 to 2020 would be the only decade since the 1790 census was taken when the white population did not grow. Between the years of 1970 and 1980, the white population was 11.2 million and decreased to 2.8 million in the years of 2000 to 2010. A large attribute to the white population is its older age population when compared to ethnic groups and races. This led to less births and to more deaths. The median age for white Americans in 2019 was 43.7, 29.8 for Latino or Hispanic Americans, 34.6 for Black Americans, 37.5 for Asian Americans, and 20.9 for people who identified as two or more races. The long-term decline of the white population is estimated to be due to its increased aging from the millennials and delayed marriage. Between the years of 2010 and 2019, the United States grew by 19.5 million people. Latinos or Hispanics were about 10 million people out of the total 19.5 million. Asian Americans were 4.3 million, Black Americans were 3.2 million, and people who identified of two or more races were 1.7 million. Going forward, these groups will most likely continue being the main influencer of the nation's growth (Frey).
Last year's Census Bureau revealed that the population estimates that more than half of the United States total population are members of the millennial or younger generation. The generations that were born in 1981 or later are growing slower than older age groups, which they are also more racially diverse. The younger population is the majority of the white population decrease. The under 18 white population since 2000 were registered at an absolute population loss. Millennials and juniors were born during the years that immigration was the highest. During the 1980s and early 2000s, immigrants and their children were a factor in the growth and diversity of the United States younger population. The major source of Latino or Hispanic population growth is due to the natural increase rather than immigration (Frey).
The United States is at a midpoint of a known before demographic stagnation. This has been caused by the decrease in fertility rates and the increase in mortality rates in the aging population. The pandemic has defiantly brought attention to this pattern. A stagnation in youth population could occur if there was less immigration. In the years of 2020 and 2035, it is estimated by the Census Bureau that the United States under 18 population would grow by 4% if it is not under its low-immigration projection. If it ends up being under that lower immigration projecting, there will be no growth in population under the age of 18. Under both projections, anybody aged over 65 years old would grow by 38%, at least. To increase a more rapid growth of the younger population, we would have to increase the immigration by three times than where we currently stand at this level. Under this projection, the growth would increase by 9% over the next 15 years (Frey).
There are many challenges in speeding up the growth rate of Americas population. An example would be less immigration. At the end of the decade, we will see the smallest expansion of foreign-born population since the 1970's. Fewer immigrants are moving to big cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to work. This explains why the of the foreign-born population is not growing. Immigrants are most likely to move for work causing lower immigration to hit domestic mobility and this may cause fertility rates to decrease. Today, an average American woman is estimated to have 1.7 children in her lifetime, which is in fact the lowest it has ever been in decades (The Economist).
For generations the population growth in the U.S has been growing fast due to lots of immigration and high fertility rates until the year of 2020, which the pandemic first hit America. In conclusion, the U.S is struggling with their population growth. The pandemic has affected our growth significantly. Not only has the pandemic affected our growth, but modern-day technology, and less immigration has as well. Over the next decade, it is said that our population growth will be at a standpoint in its rate.
Works Cited
Frey, William H. "What the 2020 Census Will Reveal about America: Stagnating Growth, an Aging Population, and Youthful Diversity." Brookings, Brookings, 12 July 2021
King, Marcus D. "Dying for a Drink: Overuse, population growth, and climate change are turning water into a powerful tool for conflict in many parts the world." American Scientist, vol. 107, no. 5, 2019, p. 296+
"Population growth slows in a pandemic." Times [London, England], 26 June 2021, p. 11
"The great slowdown; America's population." The Economist, 2 Jan. 2021, p. 19(US)
Robert Dalessandro
Professor Akers
English 102
28 July 2021
The Decrease in Population Growth
There is a massive increase in the rate of population growth in the United States. For generations the United States population growth has grown fast due to lots of immigration and high fertility rates until the year of 2020, which the pandemic hit America. It is estimated that the population growth has not been this slow since The Great Depression. New York has had the highest decrease in population than any other state. During the pandemic, 126,000 of New York's people were lost. That is about 0.65% of their population that was lost. Some states, which the majority of are in the South are growing fast, but not fast enough to increase the national rate (The Economist). Data collected for the 2020 census shows that it is the second smallest decade-long growth in America's history (Frey).
Ever since 1900, there has never been a year that has seen such a slow rate that 2020 saw. Population estimates have shown that from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020, the United States grew only 0.35%, which is the lowest the annual growth rate has been since the 1900. After the year of 2000, the country's growth rate had a significant decrease, especially after the Great Recession. From the year 2019 to 2020, the rate of growth was the slowest it has ever been for the past 102 years. One reason why there was such a massive decrease in growth was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused an increase in deaths and immigration restrictions. It is suggested that only increasing immigration will drive the growth to increase in the United States (Frey).
The United States has been the fastest growing countries in the industrialized world. During World War I and the Spanish flu, the growth was faster than the growth during the pandemic through the year to July. An estimate by William Frey of the Brookings Institution states that the expansion in the decade to July 2020 at only 6.6%. If that estimate is correct, that will be the lowest rate since the 1790's (Times).
Not only is there a decrease in population growth, but there is also a decrease in how mobile Americans are. Due to the massive increase in cost of housing, it made it more difficult for younger Americans to move. In the year to March, only 9.3% of the U.S population moved. Earlier in 2020, a paper published by Kyle Mangum of the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia analyzed why people moved less frequently than their parents did. He states that technology nowadays, like air-conditioning, opened territory for settlement. The internet has also given people the option of not having to move to find work. Nowadays, during the pandemic, a lot of work was remote (Times). During the pandemic, only 9.3% of Americans changed residence than in any year since 1947. This was when the Census Bureau's began the collection of annual migration statistics. Migration declines were a majority of younger adults that remained "stuck in place" (Frey). The rates of mobility are estimated to increase in the years 2020 to 2021 because the pandemic related migration from cities or moving back in with family members will rise. As the pandemic subsides, the long-term stagnation will possibly reemerge (Frey).
According to the estimates from the Census Bureau's National Demographic Analysis, it suggests that the 2020 census will highlight the growth divide between the old and the young in America. People aged 55 or older grew by 27%, which is 20 times bigger than the growth rate of the people who are aged 55 and under (1.3%), between the years of 2010 and 2020. The major cause of this divide is the baby boomer generation. People who passed the age of 65 during 2010 to 2020 increased the size of the 65 to 74 age group by a half. Millennials, which is the younger generation, helped increased the growth of the 25 to 34 years old population. The smaller generations that followed the millennials decreased that growth rate down close to zero. It is estimated to see a growth in the baby boomer generation and their 55 and older population. For the younger population, migration will determine whether or not an area registers a gain or loss of young people. Twenty states show a gain in population of young people due to the in-migration (people from the outside of the country and from other states) of the youth and families that have children (Frey).
Over the years of 2010 between 2019, there was a brief decline in the United States white population by 16,612. If this is confirmed in the 2020 census, the years 2010 to 2020 would be the only decade since the 1790 census was taken when the white population did not grow. Between the years of 1970 and 1980, the white population was 11.2 million and decreased to 2.8 million in the years of 2000 to 2010. A large attribute to the white population is its older age population when compared to ethnic groups and races. This led to less births and to more deaths. The median age for white Americans in 2019 was 43.7, 29.8 for Latino or Hispanic Americans, 34.6 for Black Americans, 37.5 for Asian Americans, and 20.9 for people who identified as two or more races. The long-term decline of the white population is estimated to be due to its increased aging from the millennials and delayed marriage. Between the years of 2010 and 2019, the United States grew by 19.5 million people. Latinos or Hispanics were about 10 million people out of the total 19.5 million. Asian Americans were 4.3 million, Black Americans were 3.2 million, and people who identified of two or more races were 1.7 million. Going forward, these groups will most likely continue being the main influencer of the nation's growth (Frey).
Last year's Census Bureau revealed that the population estimates that more than half of the United States total population are members of the millennial or younger generation. The generations that were born in 1981 or later are growing slower than older age groups, which they are also more racially diverse. The younger population is the majority of the white population decrease. The under 18 white population since 2000 were registered at an absolute population loss. Millennials and juniors were born during the years that immigration was the highest. During the 1980s and early 2000s, immigrants and their children were a factor in the growth and diversity of the United States younger population. The major source of Latino or Hispanic population growth is due to the natural increase rather than immigration (Frey).
The United States is at a midpoint of a known before demographic stagnation. This has been caused by the decrease in fertility rates and the increase in mortality rates in the aging population. The pandemic has defiantly brought attention to this pattern. A stagnation in youth population could occur if there was less immigration. In the years of 2020 and 2035, it is estimated by the Census Bureau that the United States under 18 population would grow by 4% if it is not under its low-immigration projection. If it ends up being under that lower immigration projecting, there will be no growth in population under the age of 18. Under both projections, anybody aged over 65 years old would grow by 38%, at least. To increase a more rapid growth of the younger population, we would have to increase the immigration by three times than where we currently stand at this level. Under this projection, the growth would increase by 9% over the next 15 years (Frey).
There are many challenges in speeding up the growth rate of Americas population. An example would be less immigration. At the end of the decade, we will see the smallest expansion of foreign-born population since the 1970's. Fewer immigrants are moving to big cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to work. This explains why the of the foreign-born population is not growing. Immigrants are most likely to move for work causing lower immigration to hit domestic mobility and this may cause fertility rates to decrease. Today, an average American woman is estimated to have 1.7 children in her lifetime, which is in fact the lowest it has ever been in decades (The Economist).
For generations the population growth in the U.S has been growing fast due to lots of immigration and high fertility rates until the year of 2020, which the pandemic first hit America. In conclusion, the U.S is struggling with their population growth. The pandemic has affected our growth significantly. Not only has the pandemic affected our growth, but modern-day technology, and less immigration has as well. Over the next decade, it is said that our population growth will be at a standpoint in its rate.
Works Cited
Frey, William H. "What the 2020 Census Will Reveal about America: Stagnating Growth, an Aging Population, and Youthful Diversity." Brookings, Brookings, 12 July 2021
King, Marcus D. "Dying for a Drink: Overuse, population growth, and climate change are turning water into a powerful tool for conflict in many parts the world." American Scientist, vol. 107, no. 5, 2019, p. 296+
"Population growth slows in a pandemic." Times [London, England], 26 June 2021, p. 11
"The great slowdown; America's population." The Economist, 2 Jan. 2021, p. 19(US)
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