2015 at 35 %.
Born: 1946 to 1964
Age in 2017: 53 to 71
Born: 1965 to 1980
Age in 2017: 37 to 52
Born: 1981 to 1997
Age in 2017: 20 to 36
washington business
America’ s workforce is in a state of upheaval. Baby boomers, once the largest share, continue heading toward the exits as they repair their recession-scrambled nest eggs and enter retirement.
Generation X briefly replaced boomers in 2012 as the largest share of the workforce, but held the position for just three years before millennials overtook them. Gen Xers continue moving into leadership
Millennials became the largest share of the workforce in positions, but their workforce dominance was short-lived.
Meanwhile, millennials became the largest share of the workforce two years ago at roughly 35 percent, and by 2020 they will make up fully half of the workforce.
The implications of such radical change in such a short time are significant for employers. They are not only forced to recruit and train new people to take the place of retiring boomers, but in many cases, they are finding they also need to adapt their workplace culture and practices to accommodate the newcomers.
AWB is helping employers navigate these changes in a variety of ways, from hosting events like the Workforce Summit in March( which explored some of the HR-related challenges) to conducting focus group sessions throughout the state to hear from millennials about their attitudes toward work, career and a successful balance of career and home life.
And in this issue of the magazine, we interviewed three members of each generation to compare their responses to questions about their careers, workplace expectations and how technology is a gamechanger for the way younger generations work. Contributing writer Richard Davis, a member of the baby boom generation, interviewed three boomers. Staff writer Bobbi Cussins, a Gen Xer, interviewed
2015 at 35 %.
By 2020 they will make up half of the workforce.
three Gen Xers. And millennial staff writer Ryan Chambers interviewed three millennials.
Nine people. Three generations. A wide array of views.
how did you get started in your career? what did you learn from your first job?
rosemary brester: My first job was ironing. Mother had me iron and my dad wore long-sleeve shirts. And I learned exactly how you ironed a shirt and what needed to be ironed first. So there was a process.
Baby-sitting was my first job for pay. And that encompassed a lot of trust, a lot of awareness, risk. I think being trusted is probably the largest thing that most people would want in someone taking care of their children. And again: you go back to the process and sequence. When you’ re watching someone’ s children they had a bedtime, a snack, they could watch a certain television station or have books to be read. You had to understand what the parents’ requirements were as well. shiloh schauer: My first unpaid job was working on the family orchard. My first paid job was working for Stan’ s Merry Mart with my grandmother in the hardware department. They took a chance on a 15-year-old girl and I learned retail sales and loved it. I learned a lot about real life skills. I love customer service and I loved the fact that they saw something in me. Stan’ s is still there. Ethel Wright [ who started working at Stan’ s in 1958 and now owns it ] is still around town and I tell her,‘ You gave me my start and I greatly appreciate it.’ She taught me a lot about taking care of the customers because the customers take care of you. austin neilson: I got started in government affairs when I was a sophomore in college. I applied for my university’ s internship program, which was a job in the state capitol in Michigan, where
Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials
Born: 1946 to 1964
Age in 2017: 53 to 71
Born: 1965 to 1980
Age in 2017: 37 to 52
Born: 1981 to 1997
Age in 2017: 20 to 36
( Source: Pew Research Center)
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