The United States army announced last month that it would raise the maximum age at which Americans can enlist from 35 to 42 years to expand its pool of eligible candidates amid recruiting challenges in recent years.
"There are very real economic forces that are limiting the options for non-college-educated men in the United States. Some of what we're seeing is simply rational responses to a system that's pricing them out."
Boomers are far more likely than any other group to be aware of price increases. When prices go up, they cut back on non-essential items and avoid impulse buys, with just 53% succumbing to them.
Dr John Allan stated that Generation Alpha, many of whom are now approaching adulthood, are clear about what they want from their future. However, many do not feel ready for what comes next, particularly regarding the confidence, independence, and practical skills needed to navigate life after education.
Growing up, I remember my father coming home from the factory, his hands stained with machine oil that never quite washed off. He'd sit at our kitchen table, carefully counting out bills for the week ahead. Years later, when I asked him about those days, he just smiled and said, "You kids had everything you needed."
I watched my neighbor pull into his driveway yesterday evening. Engine off. Lights still on. Just sitting there in the driver's seat, hands still on the wheel, staring straight ahead at his garage door. Ten minutes passed before he finally opened the car door and headed inside. I get it. I've been that guy. For forty years, I was an electrician. Started as an apprentice at eighteen, straight out of high school.
I sold my electrical business to my foreman and walked away after 22 years. Thought I'd feel relief. Maybe pride. What I felt was lost. Like someone had pulled the foundation out from under me and I was just floating there, trying to figure out which way was up. Nobody warned me about this part. They talk about the money, the hobbies, the travel. But the identity crisis? The weird grief that comes with losing the person you've been for decades? Not a word.
