Comments on: Is 55 the New 25 for Workers? http://www.ere.net/2007/08/02/is-55-the-new-25-for-workers/ Recruiting News, Recruiting Events, Recruiting Community, Social Recruiting Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:12:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Deborah Jones http://www.ere.net/2007/08/02/is-55-the-new-25-for-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-3027 Deborah Jones Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:32:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/08/02/is-55-the-new-25-for-workers/#comment-3027 Kudos to your grandfather...he's my kind 'o guy. If time had stood still and we had more married couples and one income was sufficient to maintain a decent standard of living for a family, then we would be seeing more retirees. But things are different now. The expansion of our economy during the 20th century and the social and family structure options have mapped out a different life than we might have imagined. It's bad in some ways, but very good in others. Kudos to your grandfather…he’s my kind ‘o guy. If time had stood still and we had more married couples and one income was sufficient to maintain a decent standard of living for a family, then we would be seeing more retirees. But things are different now. The expansion of our economy during the 20th century and the social and family structure options have mapped out a different life than we might have imagined. It’s bad in some ways, but very good in others.

]]> By: Cancel Cancel http://www.ere.net/2007/08/02/is-55-the-new-25-for-workers/comment-page-1/#comment-3026 Cancel Cancel Fri, 03 Aug 2007 01:48:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/08/02/is-55-the-new-25-for-workers/#comment-3026 The major reason the market is seeing the increase is more a matter of higher numbers of the population falling into that range. The concept of the Baby Boomer relates to the spike in births after World War II, so the boom has led to a high number of current members of our population/workforce that were born between 1946 - 1960. Outside of the quantitative factor, there are qualitative factors that result in these individuals working as well. As you mention, the cost of medicine and healthcare is truly one of them; so is the increase in life expectancy. Many have realized that the million they have set aside for retirement won't go as far as they originally planned for it to. As far as if 55 is the new 25, the answer is 'not likely'. Baby Boomers have a much different view of life and work than Gen-Y. "When Generations Collide" (by Lancaster and Stillman) is a great book on this topic. In fact, here's a cool powerpoint that breaks down some of the more general differences: www.etsu.edu/edc/EDC%20Training%20Handouts/When%20Generations%20Collide%20final.ppt If you can't get to it, let me know and I'll email you a copy. All in all, though, it's a tough situation. From a personal standpoint, my Grandfather is a Korean War vet with only one leg and eye remaining (from his fighting the Chinese in the Chosin Reservoir in 1950), and it is not a good feeling knowing that he still has to bag groceries to pay his property taxes and buy food, despite being fully disabled per the federal government. I try to do what I can, but he's a tough cookie that "isn't looking for any handouts". I'm 31, but I don't hear those words from too many 25-yr olds! :) Then again, he was born in the middle of the Great Depression, so he's absolutely cut from a different cloth! The major reason the market is seeing the increase is more a matter of higher numbers of the population falling into that range.

The concept of the Baby Boomer relates to the spike in births after World War II, so the boom has led to a high number of current members of our population/workforce that were born between 1946 – 1960.

Outside of the quantitative factor, there are qualitative factors that result in these individuals working as well. As you mention, the cost of medicine and healthcare is truly one of them; so is the increase in life expectancy. Many have realized that the million they have set aside for retirement won’t go as far as they originally planned for it to.

As far as if 55 is the new 25, the answer is ‘not likely’. Baby Boomers have a much different view of life and work than Gen-Y. “When Generations Collide” (by Lancaster and Stillman) is a great book on this topic. In fact, here’s a cool powerpoint that breaks down some of the more general differences:
http://www.etsu.edu/edc/EDC%20Training%20Handouts/When%20Generations%20Collide%20final.ppt

If you can’t get to it, let me know and I’ll email you a copy. All in all, though, it’s a tough situation.

From a personal standpoint, my Grandfather is a Korean War vet with only one leg and eye remaining (from his fighting the Chinese in the Chosin Reservoir in 1950), and it is not a good feeling knowing that he still has to bag groceries to pay his property taxes and buy food, despite being fully disabled per the federal government. I try to do what I can, but he’s a tough cookie that “isn’t looking for any handouts”.

I’m 31, but I don’t hear those words from too many 25-yr olds! :) Then again, he was born in the middle of the Great Depression, so he’s absolutely cut from a different cloth!

]]>