Unemployment Benefits
Such a decision may be influenced by a labor market that’s struggling to improve and unemployment benefits that are running out. The jobless rate has been above 7 percent since the end of 2008. The share of unemployed Americans out of work for 27 weeks or longer was 38 percent in August, more than double what it was before the end of the last expansion, according to Labor Department figures.
“Clearly that would be creating some pressure for people who haven’t been able to work,” Becker said. “They’re getting unemployment compensation that was less than they had in their last job, or their unemployment compensation may have run out and they’re on welfare.”
At Shady Grove Fertility Center, egg donors receive compensation at almost every step of the process, earning $7,000 by the time they finish their first donation cycle. Women can receive $7,500 for a second donation and $8,000 for each additional cycle up to a total of six, incurring no out-of- pocket costs along the way.
Financial Reasons
Still, 73 percent of women said altruism influenced their choice more than financial reasons, the survey showed.
“It is more than cutting your hair and even donating blood,” Shady Grove’s Williams said. “The process can take a few months. So if you don’t have that altruistic motivation, if you’re just doing it for money, you’re probably not going to get through the process.”
The average donor is about 27 years old, and 78 percent have a college degree or are pursuing one, Williams said. More than half of donor applications come through an online resource.
The Internet is probably responsible for much of the increased interest in cashing in on body parts, Becker said. Online search engines and exchanges make communications between “buyers and sellers of things like organs or hair much easier,” he said.
Interest Rates