Home » Posts tagged 'generations'
I’ve had the great pleasure of working with a number of young people recently. The Robotics League team at Great River School are a dedicated and smart group of kids with extraordinary skills at times. They make things happen.
Learning about them as people has been a terrific joy for me, too. I’ve learned a bit about how to motivate the next generation of adults and what they are capable of. I’d like to share my experiences and ask your opinions, too.
If you want to know the future, ask the kids. It’s going to be their world one day and you can expect that it will be made in their image. Their attitudes, values, and goals will become what drives the economy once they kids of today become the parents and leaders tomorrow.
That’s why UBS asked Millenials (born 1982-1999, or currently 15-32 years old) about their financial and life goals. This is the generation that has been described as narcissistic, broke spenders among other things. If you believe that line, think again. The young people today are one of the most conservative generations yet financially, valuing happiness and security far more than a big pile of cash.
This describes our future, certainly, but more importantly it fits perfectly into the main reason why there are economic and business cycles in the first place.
With the big fight behind them, it’s time for the leaders in Washington to sit down and get to work in order to prevent another confrontation in January. Haha! I know, it’s always best to open with a joke, so I hope you liked that one.
Well, if you’re like most people this isn’t a joke at all. The Federal budget deficit is serious business and one of the most pressing problems facing this nation. There are a lot of myths being repeated, however, and many people will be surprised to learn that the deficit was reduced dramatically in 2013. With some growth happening it’s down to just 4% of the economy – from a high of nearly 10% in 2008. But it’s still critical to get a handle on things before the median Baby Boomers start retiring in 2017 if we’re going to realize a new era of growth.
Ready to get serious?
This piece has been updated from when it first ran 2 years ago.
The bundles of anxiety that used to be our kids bubbled through the high school parking lot towards parents long used to waiting. A normal day would never end with something as uncool as a ride from Dad – that’s what Metro Transit buses are for. But this day they were coming back from a camping trip and had bundles of stuff under tired arms. The milling crowd was my chance to meet some of my daughter’s friends.
The joys of high school – so much to worry about, so few cares in the world.
There has been little doubt that employment has been improving in the US. From the trough three years ago 5M jobs have been created. That’s not enough to fill the 12M or so that need to be created, but it’s a start – and it’s been steady progress. But who is being left behind as the situation (very) slowly improves?
The most important group are the young who are looking for their first job. Those 20-24 have a lifetime of expectations and habits created by the start of their career, and by any measure their outlook is not good. While the economy transforms itself into whatever will create the next wave of opportunity the young are being left behind. This is true throughout the developed world, particularly in Greece and Spain, but the problem is also acute here. Let’s start by defining the problem.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 