From a speech given at UCLA ( "Baby Boomers at a Career Crossroads")
"Whatever path you choose, you can rest assured that your skills and experience will be in high demand. Employment
among 45-54 year olds grew by 744,000 between February, 2003, and February, 2004. Those 55 and older saw their employment
increase by 969,000. Meanwhile, the number of employed workers 25 to 34 fell by more than 300,000. In this fiercely competitive
global economy, where companies are virtually powerless when it comes to raising prices, experience is invaluable.
Age discrimination may never entirely disappear, but for most it will seem as though it has, as employers fight it out to
attract and retain workers in their 50s, 60s and even 70s. .... The main factor driving demand for seasoned workers is the return of
skilled labor shortages .... a trend that will accelerate the labor shortage is a steady decline in the number of people earning a
bachelor's degree. ... In 2002, 51 percent of college students graduated from institutions within five years of initial enrollment.
That figure is down from 55 percent in 1988....
As of 2000, the average registered nurse was 43 years old. One in every two nurses will reach retirement age by 2015.
A nursing association in Missouri predicts that within the next few years, nurses over the age of 50 in the state will outnumber
those in their 20s by a ratio of four to one....
According to the latest available data from the Department of Education, the number of people 55 and older enrolled in adult
education courses increased by 27 percent from 10.8 million in 1995 to 13.7 million in 1999."
The author is a CEO of the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray& Christmas, Inc. Speech given on March 27, 2004,
published in Vital Speeches of the Day.
metatron