ABSTRACT
Therefore, regardless o f the overall magnitude o f the population growth rate, crude birth and death rates jointly determine the labour market. This is because the population's age structure differs for a high birth and death rate economy, from that for a low birth and death rate one, even though the natural rate of increase may be the same for both. High birth and death rates are more likely to produce a population structure with a larger dependent age group, aged below 15, than that found in a low birth and death rate situation. Low death rates in combination with persisting high fertility rates will increase the size o f the present labour force, whilst simultaneously generating high current dependency ratios and rapidly expanding future labour forces.
