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A Report Prepared for the 14C Division of Aging by CARES, the Center for Aging Research and Educational Services Jordan Institute for Families School of Social Work University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (hftp://iff.sowo-unc.edu/cares/ boomteas.htm) 1990 Boomers AA1 -me� pi 9000 4!b- � at Mid -fife The Future of Aging in North Carolina "Talkin "bout My Generation" At each stage of life transition, "baby boomers = people born be- tween 1946 to 1964 —have challenged existing structures and resources. They put pressure on hospital maternity units when they were bom. They overflowed the public school system, leading to record construction, overcrowded classrooms, and sometimes double shifts of classes. They gave a huge boost to college enrollment, and they created an "echo boom" of births when they reached child- bearing ages. As the oldest boomers began to turn 50 in 1996, the media took up the cry that demogra- phers and those who work in the field of aging had been 70 80 voicing for many years: "What is going to happen when the boomers reach retirement age ?" Boomers at Mid -Life: The Future of Aging in North Carolina will explore this com- ing wave of older adults and its impact on North Carolina. 10 20 30 40 50 60 Age "What's Goin' On" A Description of Boomers in North Carolina • In 1990 there were more than 2 million boomers in North Carolina —about one third of the population and almost half of those of working age. • One of the stereotypes of boomers is that they are well educated, but more than half had a high school diploma or less when they were ages 25 to 34. This is better than their parents, but it limits the occupational potential of the boomers and makes lifelong learning a necessity. • Boomers have higher incomes (in real terms) than their parents did at comparable ages. This is because personal income has increased and because two- income families are more common. • The income gap between African American and White boomers is smaller than it was in their parents' generation. Despite civil rights activities, the income gap for African American boomers has not continued to narrow. • How boomers will live in their later years will depend on the great diversity of family configurations they have developed. Boomers married later than their parents, and a larger number have remained single. They are less likely to be living in married - family households or with their parents, and more likely to be living alone, as single heads of household, or with a partner to whom they are not married.