GERMANY now has the lowest birthrate among nations, according to a study. So then, obviously, more women should work. Wait, what?

Germany has dropped below Japan to have not just the lowest birth rate across Europe but also globally, according to the report by Germany-based analysts.

Its authors warned of the effects of a shrinking working-age population.

They said women’s participation in the workforce would be key to the country’s economic future.

In Germany, an average of 8.2 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants over the past five years, according to the study by German auditing firm BDO with the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI). . . .

Arno Probst, a BDO board member, . . . said the country would need young immigrant workers to fill the significant skills gap. And more women were needed in the workforce to avoid economic problems.