Millenials are those born between 1982 and 1994. Baby Boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964.There is a disconnect between “millenials” and “baby boomers.” Baby boomers value loyalty and longevity. When they look at the resume of an applicant they are immediately looking to see if that applicant has remained on previous jobs for an extended period of time. Why? “Boomers” come from a time period, in which people landed jobs and remained on those jobs for a very long time.
Many boomers have retired after 30-40 years of service. Many more boomers are still members of the American workforce. Economic insecurities have led to a long list of fears. These economic apprehensions have led to a large amount of boomers remaining at the top ranks of every industry. Many employers consist of “boomers.” These “boomer” employers are reviewing applications and making executive decisions for companies of every industry. The reason they are at the top ranks of most organizations is because they began their careers a long time ago and have remained in those positions since. These jobs were acquired before the internet, cell phones, and transient populations.
Many boomers, equate longevity on previous jobs, as a sign of competence and reliability. Some millenials see longevity as an indication of a person who is complacent in their career. This is the root of the disconnect. It is a disconnect that would benefit the entire American economy if it did not exist. The job and housing market would improve drastically if this disconnect was not present. Millenials are a generation of renters. They are transient. More millenials would purchase homes if they could find stable employment. The housing market would greatly benefit if an entire generation was able to take part in it. Baby boomers choose to continue to scratch their heads when looking for solutions to improving the housing market. They also often wonder why college educated millenials are often living with their parents. It’s usually because they are underemployed, or unemployed, because of boomer employers who have decided to overlook the ingenuity of millenials simply because they haven’t remained on a job for an extended period of time.
According to the United States Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 47.2% of high school graduates over the age of 25, actually participate in the American workforce. That means that more than half of that demographic is not contributing Federal Income Taxes to the American treasury. It also means that there is a high probability of those not participating in the workforce and not contributing taxes, are receiving tax payer funded welfare. More contributors to our treasury would definitely help reduce the Federal debt. My hope is that this article will bring about awareness and provoke dialogue between millenials and their elders who often ostracize them from the American workforce.
