Craig James, an economist at CommSec, said Australia's baby boom appeared to be a result of strong consumer confidence and an unemployment rate of just 5.1 percent. "Unemployment is at a 28-year low, wages are up, confidence is high," James told Wednesday's The Australian newspaper. "People are feeling like it's safe to start a family again." Australia's birth rate had been in steady decline since 1990, dropping to a half-yearly low of around 125,000 births during the April to September period of 2002. Australia's conservative government has tried to boost flagging fertility by offering financial inducements, including a 3,000 dollar (2,324 US dollar) payment to parents introduced on July 1.