Work And Workers In The Twenty-First Century Summary

1.) What difficulties—from retiring baby boomers in the United States to a graying China, to the massive overhang of Europe’s elderly—can private corporations, governments, and other sectors expect as the aging revolution unfolds across the globe? How will changing demographics affect workforce composition? Retirement age? Pension outlays? Taxation? Immigration? Economic growth? How can governments, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations work together to address these issues?

In the well written article Stubborn Skills Gap in America’s Work Force, the author Eduardo Porter describes how fictitious the idea of workers in America really is. When asking President Obama which country develops and breads the most skilled work force he said hands down the United States. Obama’s direct words about the work force were “more productive than any on earth” and they “build better products than anybody else.” Even the less boisterous Republicans were sure American workers could surpass any competition on any

Jacobsen, Kent, Lee, & Mather (2011) stated, “Since women live longer than men in the United States, women will continue to make up a majority of the older population in the foreseeable future” (pg. 3). Whereas, this age distribution among men and women are expected to remain approximately the same between 2009 and 2030, there will be notable changes in the age and gender gap by 2050 as the gap grows smaller (Jacobsen, Kent, Lee, & Mather, 2011). Furthermore, according to Vincent & Velkoff (2010), by the year 2042 the United States will become more racially and ethnically diverse with the combined minority population expected to become the majority. Thus, as people in the United States age over the next several decades, the older population will also become a more racially and ethnically diverse group. In addition, the overall age structure of the population is expected to change a great deal over the next four decades (Vincent & Velkoff, 2010). This will pose even more challenges to policy makers and programs designed to help the elderly like Medicare and Social Security. Therefore, being able to project the size and structure of the older population, in regards to age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin is not only important to public interest, but also private both socially and economically (Vincent & Velkoff, 2010).

Aging Americans, like other age groups, are feeling the effects of the declining real estate and stock markets, as well as soaring fuel and food prices. Seniors’ economic security will only increase in importance as the U.S. population ages. The nation’s health and social services resources will face unprecedented demand as 75 million people in the baby boomer generation reach retirement age—some with eroded savings and retirement accounts. Aging people of color are more likely than white

In today’s society, the work industry is comprised of numerous generations from baby boomers to millennia’s. Due to reasons ranging from increased cost of living to political policies, Americans are being forced to work longer in order to obtain the social security benefits they’ve contributed to during their careers. Each generation has certain generational influences such as war times and civil rights for the baby boomers and social media and the technology boom for the millennia’s. One constant that has not changed, however, is that the average American has to work for a living, and with the evolution of the US economy, they are having to work longer and are retiring later.

“Risky jobs have existed throughout history. As time goes on… new technologies help reduce risks, but they also create new dangerous jobs.” (Garbe, 2014, p. 28). Since the Declaration of Independence was established - and perhaps even before that - the American people have gone about life knowing that the only way to pave the way for better times was work. However, “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” also gave

As a human being we find ourselves engaging in purposive activity in order to survive, this is our motivation to work. Since the beginning of this nation American citizens, have labored for a better living and better society, how does this dream come to fruition? Our nation 's political and economic systems have allowed citizens to pursue their own ambitions. Today the average American continues to strive for a better career, education and way of life. As a country these are the people that push our nation forward in a globally competitive environment. This ‘dream’ has become a movement towards the greater size and diversification that we see in many of the top grossing industries today. Currently most industries products focus on a service and/or knowledge based market. According to (inc.com) some of the top grossing industries are legal services, oil and gas, accounting, medical occupations, mining. These industries have led to some favorable and discouraging outcomes over time within our modern and global economy. Not only do these particular industries have an effect on the economy but also on societal infrastructure. These outcomes have affected and taken place in my own career path. We all strive for the ‘American Dream’, but do we truly understand the meaning. Thomas Jefferson once said, “It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness.” It is your occupation that gives you a sense of pride and

The modern day American society hosts a broad spectrum of industries with various occupations and professions to engage today’s workforce. America, much like most first world countries is a service economy based on the exchange of knowledge and expertise rather than materials and products. People have a long history of work and work evolution that has ultimately brought America to a service economy producing both strengths and weaknesses within the society and its economy. As America has moved to a service economy, much of the manufacturing and production jobs have moved oversees to third world countries creating a reliance on other economies. This globalization of the workforce as well as unionization, and the

As for the United States government has begun to see an increase among seniors who are returning or remaining in the work force. Leading awareness for updates regarding Seniors within the workplace is needed within the US. The benefits that have been identified for US is the benefits that would be seen increased federal tax contributions from mature (senior) workers through remaining in the workforce. Creating a positive impact on Medicare and Social Security with a $2.7 trillion more dollar than previously anticipated (Klein-Collins, R. & Synder,

People have concerned that phenomenal expansion of America’s senior population will create a challenge for the government assistance programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Another group of people are concerned the Boomers have the potential to agitate the economy as they indulge in spending a phenomenal portion of his or her assets at the same time. Boomers imprint is on every stage of American life he or she has passed through, and anticipation of seniors years will duplicate.

He laments the loss of thousands of jobs and foretells of an economic collapse as jobs grow stagnant. Berman predicted, correctly, that low skilled jobs would never return in demand, and that the economic security of all low skilled workers was at risk. And that high skilled jobs would become the new standard. We are rapidly approaching a time in which an average worker is an unemployed worker. A vast array of skillsets and creativity will become the new base requirements for even the most minimalistic of

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the number of people 65 and older will possibly double by the year 2030. According to Yager (2008) forecasts are showing that the United States could reach a labor shortage by 2030. As

Over the years, there have been major shifts within the United States in regards to its population. Statisticians have estimated that 20% of the population will be 65 years of age and older. There is an even

The population in the United States is aging at an unprecedented pace. For the first time in history, seventy percent of everyone who has ever lived is alive today (Isidro, 2009). The aging population and their imminent retirement will place an even greater strain on the country’s financial resources. The baby boomers; people born between 1946 and 1964 have influenced our economy by their sheer number. As this age group matures and enters their retirement years, an economic shift is inevitable.

The abilities hole is extending, the white collar class is contracting, and wages are stale. America has underinvested in zones of intensity in the course of recent decades while overinvesting in here and now settles that cover the basic issues. Apparently, a reaction to work advertise stuns expedited by retreats, the low financing costs of the mid-2000's and the current QE program are, on a more profound level, endeavors to make up for titanic moves in the work showcase.