http://leisureeconomy.com How Changing Demographics, Economics and Generational Attitudes Will Reshape Our Lives and Our Industries Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:00:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Okay it has been a bit of an absence but I am BACK writing posts...on demographics, the economy and the leisure economy plus whatever else seems relevant...like today's column by Lisa Belkin in the New York Times....as her stuff always is, it is shoved into the "Lifestyles" section, but in this case ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/08/07/higher-gas-prices-mean-shorter-workweeks-and-telecommuting/ Okay I'm not a Gen Y (more of a Barack-Obama defined Gen Xer) but I didn't think there would be much of a generational divide on this one: surely EVERYONE thinks that it would be fun to be an astronaut? Apparently not. Like everyone else, NASA is fighting to get ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/03/29/gen-y-wants-to-make-nasa-fun/ I follow the housing data from the U.S. pretty slavishly: new home sales, existing home sales, the index of mortgage applications, residential building permits -well, you name it and I have a little graph of it somewhere.  Lately, all the little graphs have looked the same, in that they resemble ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/03/26/us-homeowners-refuse-to-cut-home-prices/ Really it is kind of fun to watch the generational dynamics at play in the U.S. primaries.  There is something for everyone: the "GI Generation" John McCain, the consummate boomer Mrs. Clinton, and the self-styled Gen Xer Barack Obama. And let's not forget Generation Y, who it seems are already ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/01/08/boomers-xers-gen-y-all-playing-a-part-in-us-primaries/ Here's an interesting piece from yesterday's New York Times.   It's not exactly a new theme: the baby boomers comprise a huge audience and everyone wants a part of it.  The twist is that now that the boomers are headed towards sixtysomething, there are new challenges. I like the categories that the ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/01/07/advertisers-work-on-how-best-to-target-aging-boomers/ Today's a day to just talk about the economy - as the Presidential candidates are no doubt finding out.  The verdict from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on December was downright depressing: on net, non-farm payrolls (that's jobs, as measured by the survey of establishments) rose by just 18,000 during ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/01/04/december-non-farm-payrolls-report-will-give-presidential-candidates-something-to-talk-about-that-would-be-recession/ The boomers-go-back-to-school trend is about to explode, but really you'd never know it from the colleges.  Most are moving in baby steps, if at all, in terms of offering courses or preparing for the influx.  This article, though--from the Dallas Morning News--profilesone institution that is actively trying to welcome boomers, ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/01/03/baby-boomers-head-for-college-and-some-colleges-are-ready-for-them/ This one doesn't surprise me: a new travel survey shows that baby boomers are looking for 'experiences' when they vacation, not just beach time.  According to BCAA Travel, a chapter of the Canadian Automobile Association, baby boomers in Canada, Australia and Britain are looking for holidays that they can tell ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2008/01/02/baby-boomers-want-travel-experiences-not-fun-in-the-sun/ So this one puzzles me: Generation Y apparently loves libraries.  According to a new survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, young adults are the biggest users of American libraries.  In total, 53 percent of Americans visited a library over the past year, in contrast to 62 percent ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2007/12/31/gen-y-and-libraries/ Here's a link to a site called webworkerdaily.com. They have decided that 2008 will be the 'Year of the Webworker' and they've invited comments from readers as to why that will be the case.  I agree with all that has been written - although I think we are heading into ... http://leisureeconomy.com/index.php/2007/12/17/why-2008-will-be-the-year-of-the-web-worker/