Boomer’s Influence on Politics Coming to an End? And Will the Younger Gens go the Other Way?
Posted On November 2, 2016
Millennials have made their voices heard in this year’s contentious presidential election, mostly through the vociferous support for Democratic primary candidate Bernie Sanders – a phenomenon I explored in a blog back in May. After Sanders fell in the primary to Hillary Clinton, their level of support for the Democratic nominee may play a role in whether she or Republican Donald Trump wins the presidency. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank recently cited polls showing Trump leading slightly among Baby Boomers while trailing among Gen-Xers and millennials. Milbank offered the opinion that Baby Boomers’ preference for the combative Trump is proof… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y / Millennials, Voting Behavior
Mike Rowe’s message continues to find traction
Posted On September 21, 2016
Mike Rowe has made a career out of, for a day, doing jobs that most people wouldn’t want. The host of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs” is a funny guy who isn’t bashful about making fun of himself while he’s elbow deep in mud, manure, fish entrails or some other nastiness, and that makes his show entertaining. But beyond cracking jokes, grossing out his audience and drawing ratings, Rowe’s show has a purpose – demonstrating that one doesn’t have to work in an office building or wear a coat and tie to make a good living. He has doubled… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace
Exodus? Well, kinda. Millennials, suburbia, families, and stereotypes.
Posted On September 12, 2016
Part of the picture most of us tend to have about millennials is of an urban existence. Mass transit. Refurbished lofts. Biking to Starbucks for a Frappuccino or the local craft brewery for a beer. But is it an accurate picture? According to FiveThirtyEight.com, not so much. Citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FiveThirtyEight’s Jed Kolko notes that millennials ages 25-34 between the years of 2009-13 were actually slightly less likely to live in urban areas than 25- to 34-year-olds in 2000. While the percentage of college-educated millennials living in hyper-urban areas, those with the greatest population density, has… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Home Ownership
Top Cities for Millennials to Live Alone
Posted On September 7, 2016
(Today’s blog courtesy of Zillow.com. Thanks to Zillow for reaching out and offering this info. Good stuff.) By Jennifer Riner Less than 9 percent of Millennials live solo these days – a portion of the population that’s been in decline for the past few years. Because of unaffordable rents and rising home prices, a vast number of young people opt to live with family or friends to cut housing costs that might otherwise send them into the red zone. Between 2000 and 2013, the percentage of 23- to 34-year-olds living with family increased 46 percent. The no. 1 place… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Home Ownership, Real Estate
Millennials & Marriage Trends
Posted On August 8, 2016
Millennials are getting married later than their parents and grandparents did. Statistics compiled by the Pew Research Center a couple of years ago showed that only 26 percent of millennials got married between the ages of 18 and 32, compared to 36 percent of Gen-Xers, 48 percent of Baby Boomers and 65 percent of what it calls the “Silent” generation, taken from the 1960 census. Some may suggest that this is a product of millennials being the Participation Trophy Generation. Young adults who were always praised as children and never allowed to fail might logically be expected to have difficulty… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials
Millennial House Buying & Student Debt
Posted On August 3, 2016
When are those Millennials going to start buying homes? This is a question many of us – such as economists, policy-makers, realtors, and homebuilders – keep asking. It is a well-known fact that homeownership rates among younger Americans have declined over the last 10 years. For example, in 2004 around 43% of people under the age of 35 were homeowners. That has steadily declined, to the point where in 2015 only 35% of them are homeowners. Why the decline? Most analysts point to higher levels of student debt as the reason. In mid-July the White House jumped into the fray,… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Home Ownership
Brexit to the Millennials – Uppercut to the Jaw
Posted On July 26, 2016
When Great Britain voted to leave the European Union last month, an issue known globally by the mashup term Brexit, generational politics and preferences played a huge role in the result. Younger people voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, while older voters largely opted out. According to polling cited by Time, less than 20 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 supported Brexit, while nearly 60 percent of those old enough to receive pensions were in favor. According to the Telegraph, Brexit’s passage was due in large part to high turnout among those older voters in… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Generations, Wealth
Entitled? Or bad timing? Or maybe a little of both?
Posted On July 21, 2016
Are millennials really the lazy, entitled brats they’re made out to be? Or is the millennial stereotype a media creation? Sarah Kendzior suggests in a recent article for Quartz that the image of millennials as spoiled narcissists is a media-generated “myth” that ignores the economic conditions under which the generation has grown. Far from expecting a plethora of options to cater to their whims, Kendzior argues millennials have suffered from a lack of options in the wake of the Great Recession, with lower incomes, less mobility and greater dependence on relatives than previous generations. Let’s say this out the outset:… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Recession Economy, Uncategorized, Work
25% of the US Population and Spending $200 Billion Annually by 2017
Posted On June 26, 2016
I’ve written a lot in this space about the millennial workplace, but appealing to employees is only part of a company’s challenge in dealing with generational transition. Even more important is adjusting to the millennial consumer. Forbes contributor Micah Solomon is calling 2016 “The Year of the Millennial Consumer,” noting that millennials make up 25 percent of the U.S. population and are expected to be spending $200 billion annually by 2017. How to appeal to a growing demographic that is wielding an increasing share of the nation’s buying power? You’ll need more than hip ad campaigns and catchy Twitter hashtags…. Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials, Product Design
Millennial CEO of Millennial Company staffed entirely by Millennials
Posted On May 31, 2016
We’ve given quite a bit of attention in past blogs to the concept of a millennial workplace. Although some millennial expectations may border on the absurd and seismic change may alienate older workers, many companies are transitioning toward a working environment that caters to a younger workforce. But what if millennials are running the company? Not only are millennials now the largest segment of the workforce, many are either moving into leadership roles or starting their own firms. Hoverboards for everybody! A Keurig and a basket of granola bars in every room and a basketball goal outside the CEO’s office!… Read More
Categories: Generation Y / Millennials