patrick.net

And there are also job numbers that make sense in the context of a baby boom population beginning to retire.

tatupu70 says

And there are also job numbers that make sense in the context of a baby boom population beginning to retire.

The very oldest baby boomers are 67 the bulk are in their mid to late 50s. Your assertion seems unlikely, can you produce some numbers that back that up?

tatupu70 says

And there are also job numbers that make sense in the context of a baby boom population beginning to retire.

If that were the case, why is the labor participation rate in Germany going up?
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.ZS

Seems to be holding steady in a lot of other countries too. Did they not have a baby boom as well? I'm thinking that they did.

zzyzzx says

If that were the case, why is the labor participation rate in Germany going up?

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.ZS

Seems to be holding steady in a lot of other countries too. Did they not have a baby boom as well? I'm thinking that they did.

Their peak population is between 40-55 as far as I can tell. Their mini-boom is a decade behind ours--probably because so many of their men died in the war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Germany#Demographic_statistics_and_policies

indigenous says

The very oldest baby boomers are 67 the bulk are in their mid to late 50s. Your assertion seems unlikely, can you produce some numbers that back that up?

I agree that boomers retiring only explains a portion of the decrease, but it's not surprising that the participation rate will continue to decline for the next 15 years.

tatupu70 says

I agree that boomers retiring only explains a portion of the decrease, but it's not surprising that the participation rate will continue to decline for the next 15 years.

So that does not explain the unemployment rate now?

indigenous says

So that does not explain the unemployment rate now?

Like I said in my previous post--it explains part of it, IMO

tatupu70 says

Their peak population is between 40-55 as far as I can tell. Their mini-boom is a decade behind ours--probably because so many of their men died in the war.

What about all the other countries where the labor participation rate seems steady or increasing? Plenty of them are in Europe, but what about Australia and Canada where the labor participation rate is steady?

tatupu70 says

Like I said in my previous post--it explains part of it, IMO

Small part

The Chicago Fed says less than half the record low labor force participation rate is due to retiring boomers. Slightly more than half is due to the lousy economy.

http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/publications/chicago_fed_letter/2012/march_296.cfm

Blurtman says

The Chicago Fed says less than half the record low labor force participation rate is due to retiring boomers. Slightly more than half is due to the lousy economy.

that sounds about right.

zzyzzx says

What about all the other countries where the labor participation rate seems steady or increasing? Plenty of them are in Europe, but what about Australia and Canada where the labor participation rate is steady?

I don't know. Do they have similar age demographics like the US does?

If this is true, where is the Wage Pressure and the resurgence of Monster.com to 90s heights?