How Are You Going to Keep Them Down on the Farm? A College Degree Is Not Enough Boomers Are Breaking the Deal Two Workers for Every Social Security Recipient Carlsbad, Palo Alto, Chicago, and Atlanta

There is something missing from this thing we are calling a recovery. For most in the US it does not feel like a recovery, and for good reason: the jobs aren’t there. But for some groups it is a recovery, and more. And that reveals an even bigger problem. Today, in a summer-shortened Thoughts from the Frontline, we look at the trends in employment as well as take note of a signpost we passed on the way to finding out that we can’t pay for all the future entitlements we have been promised. It’s a short letter but hopefully thought-provoking. At the end, I note a webinar and a few speeches I’ll be giving in the near future.

How Are You Going to Keep Them Down on the Farm?

Last spring, I mentioned I was working on a book on employment with Bill Dunkelberg, the Chief Economist for the National Federation of Independent Businesses. We were hoping to get it out by this fall. In the process of researching the topic, I began to see some new patterns in the employment trends that suggest we may be going through a generational transformation, led by both demographics and technology. And while it is ultimately positive, the transition will be harder on some groups than others. In the next few months we will take some time to explore these new trends, but let me quickly lay out a few areas for discussion.