Don't Preach, Market

In a shining example of do what we preach, not what we do, 2.3 percent of the fathers as Japan's labor ministry take paternity leave. According to a recent Reuters' post, the goal for the fathers taking paternity leave in the country as a whole is 13 percent. The idea is that the more men who stay home with the kids (and risk problems with their coworkers), the more who will decide (or whose wives will decide) to have more kids.

The current birthrate is just over one child per woman, low enough apparently, to encourage someone to come up with the 13 percent policy. Is science at work here? Maybe they should try the sort of marketing that makes hits out of Adam Sandler bombs about fathers. [Earlier: Not So Grown]