Aging Baby Boomers Create Jobs in Health Care

Over 75 million Americans comprise the babyseek medical care than the previous generation.
boomer generation, and many have reached anWhere there parents would often avoid going to
age where health care is starting to become asee the doctor, baby boomers consider medical
major concern. Baby boomers are generallycare paramount to their overall health and
recognized as the generation born between 1946happiness. The end result of this aging generation
and 1964, although many who were born a fewon the health care industry will be the creation of
years before or after associate themselves withseveral new jobs out of necessity. The US
the name. The baby boomers represent a postDepartment of Labor estimates that the health
World War II population explosion and theircare industry will experience growth that is well
inevitable aging has made the world statisticallyabove average compared to all other industries
older than ever. The oldest baby boomers areover the next two decades. This can be
already in their sixties and the health care industryattributed directly to the sheer numbers of this
is beginning to feel the effect of their age. Theaging generation and their outlook on medical care.
onset of the baby boomer generation sawIn fact, it is entirely possible that there may be a
unprecedented growth for hospitals and clinics inshortage of health care workers in the very near
the period between 1950 and 1965. It is nowfuture. Shortages in personnel often cause wages
estimated that the current number of senior careto rise, a scenario that seems a likely fate for
facilities, which is far less than the number ofmany health care positions. Only time will tell if the
existing hospitals and clinics, will be insufficient tosupply of workers is able to meet the demands
handle the large number of aging baby boomers.placed on the health care industry by the baby
Furthermore, baby boomers are more likely toboomer generation.