The Fracking Boom, a Baby Boom, and the Retreat From Marriage

Season 7, Episode 5

This week on Freakonomics Radio: over 40 percent of U.S. births are to unmarried mothers, and the numbers are especially high among the less-educated. Why? One argument is that the decline in good manufacturing jobs led to a decline in “marriageable” men. Surely the fracking boom reversed that trend, right? Stephen J. Dubner investigates.

To find out more, check out the podcasts from which this hour was drawn: “The Fracking Boom, a Baby Boom, and the Retreat From Marriage” and “FAQ: How to Think About Money, Choose Your Hometown, and Buy an Electric Toothbrush.”

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