Well, which is it?

Ahhhh, the main stream media. The want us to be scared. Scared of something, anything. The oceans are going to swallow all our cities. A giant asteroid will hit the Earth. Something. Dear god will you please be scared of something!

Anyway, as far as the baby boomers go, the media can't make up it's mind. What should we fear? One day it's, "they can't retire because they don't have the money." the next it's, "they are retiring and all businesses on earth are sunk."

Today's news story (ht Joel) is the latter. The world is going to end because businesses are going to loose all their, "expert" employees.

Now before we get to the story I would like to tell a brief story of my own.

I once worked with a this mid-size company. About 100 employees. There were a couple of different computer systems there. I maintained one and this other guy (will call him OG for Other Guy)) maintained the other.

Now, OG thought he was special. He had written most of the system. He had to do special things once in a while to it; load data, create special exports, normal programmers stuff. Well, OG thought he should get more money. Did I mention he thought he was special? He was sure that he was completely Indispensable to the business.

OG asked for a raise. They wouldn't give it to him. The company wasn't doing that great financially so it was even and option. OG had a hissy and said he would leave. They said, "OK". He left. On his way out he offered to work as a consultant. They said no. Needless to say there was someone in OGs seat within two weeks doing the same job and figuring out what had to be done. OG was never missed.

The moral of the story is no one is irreplaceable.

So on to this news story from MSNBC:

A surge of titanic proportions is about to sweep through American businesses as 80 million skilled and experienced baby-boomers reach retirement age. Departing the work force at a rate of 4 million per year until 2024, this loss of seasoned workers will create an undertow in every sector. Retirees take with them networks of professional contacts, specific skill sets, and organizational knowledge.

OOOOHHHHHHH, so they are irreplaceable? Because I bet all those contacts are:

• A. Not in Outlook
• B. Not in need of staying in contact with the company themselves so they can get product or make sales.

No folks. Us consumers of the news are stupid.

The good take away from above is that four million baby boomers a year a going to leave. That's 333,3333 a month and that starts very soon. (Three more years. (2 years and 3 months but whose counting?))

Moving on:

But here's the good news. (x-er: to who?) In a recent American Association of Retired Persons study, 70 percent of employees nearing 62 and older plan to work well into their retirement years. (x-er: But who will hire them if they aren't in charge anymore?) The BLS study breaks down the numbers of those already retired, those who accepted early retirement packages, and those who were laid off. Employment of mature workers 55 to 64 is expected to climb by 36.5 percent. For those 65 and older, the employment numbers will soar by 80 percent. According to AARP's Public Policy Institute, "…workers aged 55 and over will account for more than 90 percent of projected labor force growth over the next decade. The number of employed men and women aged 55 and older grew by nearly 2.3 million, or 9.7 percent between 2005 and 2007." Companies looking to keep their competitive edge will have the opportunity to make use of the skills of these returning workers.

Who makes these predictions? What are they basing this on? Are these the same people who told us there was no NASDAQ bubble? The same ones who told us there was no real estate bubble? Oh, I know, these are the same people that have been telling us for the past eight months that the economy is great and we are just having a, "mental recession."

I think they are just making this shit up.

Telecommunication companies, such as R & B Network Services, No. 887 on the Inc. 5000 list, already hire workers who took early retirement from the top 500 publicly traded companies and are too energized to sit at home. Firms in the education sector, such as ESW Incorporated, No. 2125 on the Inc. 5000 list, search for employees with 25 to 35 years of specific subject matter experience. As a result, their staff ranges in age from the mid-50s into the 80s. The company is so successful that 95 percent of its business comes from repeat clients. Another firm, Educational Services of America, No. 1015 on the Inc. 5000 list, finds retirees a useful resource. Mark Claypool, President and CEO, comments that 15 percent of his staff is aged 55 to 75 and they "…offer a rich tapestry of experiences to the school environment."

I'm throwing this paragraph in for one reasons. Schools suck. The education system in the country would have to improve dramatically just to get the point where it was only a big stinking pile of dog shit. Hiring back the people that made it that way will do it a world of good.

You know where I usually find retires working? Wal-mart. I don't go there very often, but every time I do, I see them.

The article goes on a bit more, you are welcome to read the rest yourself and add your comments below. We'd love to hear from you.