Millennials now make up the largest portion of the
U.S. workforce, according to a Pew Research report released this week.
The generation, which includes adults between the ages of 18-34, account for more than one-in-three — or 53.5 million — American workers, surpassing Generation X’s 52.7 million workers, for the first time during the first quarter of 2015.
The benchmark is based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey, which tracks unemployment rates.
Millennials’ share of the workforce is expected to increase further, spurred by immigration and college graduations.
Generation X, which includes adults ages 35 to 50, dominated the workforce for three years, overtaking Baby Boomers for the first time in 2012. The report points out that Generation X’s labor force may increase with immigration and economic recovery.
Millennials have different attitudes and expectations about work with a more fluid, project-oriented approach, leading to shifts in
how they are managed, Fast Company reported.
The research reflects the coming-of-age of the
Millennial generation, The Wall Street Journal pointed out. The newspaper said that it is difficult to track generational statistics because there no official definitions of generations, and about 110 million Americans fall in the middle of clear generational divides.
Still, the surge of Millennials in the workforce is expected to boost the housing and real estate industry and maintain the solvency of programs like
Medicare and Social Security, Fortune reported.