Gray Ceiling Casts Shadow on Millennials

The unemployment rate for young adults has skyrocketed to over 16 percent.  For teens (ages 16 to 19) the rate exceeds 25 percent. Slow job growth and delayed Baby Boomer retirement is erecting what I’ve called the “gray ceiling,” the inability of the next generation of employees (Generation X) to move up and the inability of the youngest generation to enter into their first career jobs.  In addition, many Baby Boomers who retire from one job don’t stop working.  They “pick up” entry level jobs formerly reserved for young adults to keep busy or supplement their income.  This gray ceiling has huge implications for business, society, and long-term earning potential for our next generation of workers.  Watch my 3-minute video interview about the “gray ceiling” on Behind the Lines with host Diane Dayton.

Comments

[Matt Angello]

Hey Ira-

Nice job. Lots of implications of the gray ceiling for organizations- both positive and negative.