OP attended a meeting held by the Department of Workforce Services with around 60 boomers and 10-20 younger people in attendance. During the meeting, the presenter discussed the labor shortage and asked the attendees what they thought the reason for it was.
Responses from the boomer attendees included “no one wants to work,” “lazy young people,” “too much free money,” and “everyone wants to work from home,” although the last response was not seen as relevant.
They Weren’t Ready to Hear That
However, the presenter shocked the audience with scientific evidence that the real cause of the labor shortage is boomers retiring. Furthermore, boomers possess a great amount of wealth that younger generations cannot compare to. Lastly, the following generations did not have enough kids to replace the retiring boomers, resulting in the impossible task of replacing them.
The attendees were reportedly silent after hearing this information. It is common for individuals to blame the younger generation for not working hard enough. Still, the evidence presented at the meeting shows that it is not the younger generation’s fault.
The retirement of boomers and their wealth has led to a gap in the workforce that younger generations cannot fill. This is a serious issue that affects the economy and the livelihoods of many people. The presentation serves as a reminder that it is important to understand the root cause of problems before assigning blame.
In conclusion, the article highlights the misconception of blaming younger generations for the labor shortage when, in fact, it is the result of boomers retiring and the following generations not having enough children to replace them. This situation has led to a gap in the workforce that younger generations cannot fill. It is crucial to recognize the root cause of problems before assigning blame and to work towards solutions that benefit all generations.
Boomers Just Dont Get It
There is a commonality in the comments that suggest that this is a common misconception. Boomers are too eager to retire from a career they could build in a period of low labor demand. So their excellent job with amazing pay is becoming the expectation of the children they have raised:
“This is something I bring up all the time. Boomers have retired at a rate we’ve never seen before. They held better jobs, but now they are letting go, and younger people are filling the roles. The least-paying jobs have the least interest. And now there are not enough people to possibly fill all the low-paying jobs.”
They don’t realize the reality difference between their generation and the next. It is clear that a lot of people agree that they are often the but of jokes when it comes to their uneducated complaints.
There Aren’t Enough People To Fill Their Roles
There are many suggestions that the rate at that boomers are retiring means there are not enough experienced young people to fulfill their spaces. Now, there is a plethora of examples in the comment section that details their retired grandparent being asked to come back to work due to intense labor shortages.
“For real, My kid’s school was short a few teachers at the beginning of the year. They begged local retired teachers to come out of retirement. There are teachers that came back that taught me when I was in elementary. They seemed old back when I was young!”
Not only are they required, but they also tend to have such well-paid career pensions that they make more money than when they worked. So there is little need for them to go back to work unless they really enjoy what they did.
Hire Them Young and Cheap
One commenter noted that these “high management positions the boomers have retired from are now filled with two young people making half their salary each. This means more jobs are on the market, but now they are worth half the money.”
This thread tells us that boomers are out of touch with what is happening with the new world of work. One commenter added that “they should really talk to their kids to get a better perspective of what goes on.”
What are your thoughts? Is There a Growing Disconnect between Baby Boomers and Today’s Workforce?
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Source: Reddit