Transition—Ready or Not: The Aging of America's Work Force

Abstract

One of the most amazing phenomenons in human resource management in the last decade is the aging of America's labor force. The maturing of baby boomers, increasing longevity, and a declining birth rate have contributed to a shortage of younger workers and an increase in the number of Americans in the older age brackets. With the aging of the work force, organizations are going to have to accommodate the transitions needed. These aging baby boomers heralded in the age of child-care issues. Now, with the nation's elderly being the fastest growing segment of the population, elder-care issues are also of major concern for the aging baby oomers and for American management. Corporate America needs to utilize its unbelievable resource of available talent—the reliable, trained, and educated older work force. We must try examine the question of how to maximize the positives of the situation and modify or reduce any negatives.