Young professionals are the focus in this issue—and we are a better community because of them. However, we must work harder to know that our region’s strength comes from five generations working side by side. From shop floors in Hope Mills to coffee shops in Spring Lake, classrooms at FSU, Methodist and FTCC to the entrepreneurship streets of downtown Fayetteville, our economy thrives when experience and fresh perspective meet.
A quick look at the mix helps set the stage for the point I’m trying to make. As of mid-2024, millennials are the largest slice of the U.S. labor force (about 36%), followed by Generation X (around 31%). Gen Z is rising fast at roughly 18% and, for the first time, surpassed baby boomers (about 15%) last year. The Silent Generation has nearly fully retired (about 1%).* These percentages shift slowly year to year, but the direction is clear: more Gen Z joining, more boomers passing the torch and Gen X and millennials carrying the managerial middle.
These generational labels can be useful, but they don’t explain everything. Pew Research Center states that we should “compare people at similar life stages and not over-generalize from stereotypes.” Age cohorts matter; exaggerations don’t. What matters inside our organizations is how people actually work together…