US Baby Boomer Facts

• On January 1st, 2011 the very first Baby Boomers turned 65
• Every 8.5 seconds a baby boomer in the U.S. turns 50 years old.
• The baby boom generation is the largest generation in American history -There are approximately 77.6 million baby boomers in the U.S. - 28% of the U.S. population
• In four years time (2015), people aged 50 and older will make up 45% of the America’s population. 
• A 50-year-old female baby boomer can expect to live 82.5 years; while a male boomer will live on average 78.5 years.
• The baby boom phenomenon is responsible for over half of all consumer spending in the United States (and I would say in NZ, Australia, Canada and Uk too)
• 80% of all leisure travel is taken by boomers.
• Beginning in January 2011 about four million boomers will be ready to retire each year, and will do so for almost two decades.
• Baby boomers account for  (The U.S. Census)

How are they going to fill their next 30 years?

Canada notes changing boomers

The Vancouver Sun has picked up the concern that I have held for a while,  that we are not ready to face the decline in volunteering amongst boomers. They note the "sandwich generation" of baby boomers, for instance, are likely to be so busy holding down full-time jobs and caring for their parents and children that they won't have time for charity work that I share about in my training.

The National Seniors' Council of Canada  in 2007 noted "three main barriers to securing boomers as volunteers:

1.  their lack of time (because its filled with so many other options)
2.  inability to make a longterm commitment (I would prefer desire to not make a long term commitment rather than inability!)
3. their preference for giving money rather than their time (which is linked in their consumer mentality-they are massive consumers)

These are definitely not unique to Canada. I am seeing same things in UK, Australia, NZ and USA. See my earlier blogpost where I talk about the massive drop in boomer volunteer numbers in the USA- I note that no one there seems worried. 

A great quote  in the article comes from Lorelynn Hart, program manager for Volunteer BC.
"The challenge is, when people are gone how do we replace them? Seniors are still the crux of many organizations. They're flexible, they have more time and they want to give back to their community. My in-laws are in their 70s, but they're the busiest retired people I know."

This is my question too: "How do we replace them?".

The answer is not filling the same volunteer roles. It means completely re designing volunteering. It means making volunteering an attractive, meaningful activity and not just a cheap substitute for paid workers. It means marketing volunteering very differently?

Is anyone ready for that?