ARC Fertility: Post-Pandemic Baby Bump Creating New Challenges for US Employers

As birth rates rise amidst changing work landscape, companies need to expand benefits covering fertility and family forming

In the wake of a significant jump in births following the end of most COVID-19 restrictions, ARC Fertility, a pioneer in innovative fertility treatment options, today called for American employers to explore new ways to offer benefits that support growing families. On May 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency, almost two years after most US federal, state and local government agencies eliminated restrictions related to the pandemic. Researchers reported that US birth rates rose 6.2%, creating a surprise “mini baby boom” following the most dire stretches of the coronavirus epidemic.

“This is unexpected because the birth rate in the United States has been steadily falling for more than 15 years,” says David Adamson. M.D., founder and CEO of ARC Fertility. “One of the findings of the research is that work from home and other family-friendly policies have made it easier for people to minimize the effects of having children on their careers. This is exciting news for many people who delayed having children for economic reasons but, unfortunately, not everyone is able to benefit because most American employers don’t provide a full range of benefits beyond basic medical coverage to help their team members form their families.”

Employers are facing an increasingly competitive labor market. The unemployment rate is at 3.5%, which the Federal Reserve classifies as full employment, and first-time jobless claims are at their lowest levels since 1970, while wages have steadily climbed over the past year. Companies are working harder to attract and retain quality employees, and higher pay is just one arrow in their quiver. To entice and keep top-tier talent, many organizations have started offering, outside of traditional compensation plans, benefits which explicitly help employees start or expand their families.

Adamson notes that “even simple fertility care, let alone IVF, surrogacy, and adoption, is rarely fully covered. This lack of coverage disproportionately affects single men and women and people in same-sex relationships who want to grow their families. Companies that want to increase the diversity of their workforces need to consider adding these benefits to cover everyone and create true work-life balance.”

About ARC^® Fertility

ARC^® Fertility was founded in 1997 because of its passion to increase access to affordable high-quality reproductive care for everyone. Our mission is being accomplished through our national network of top-tier fertility clinics that deliver fertility and family-forming employer benefits, as well as evidence-based treatment packages and financing directly to patients. ARC Fertility has helped tens of thousands of people create the family of their dreams.

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