John D Schultz

Buried in a recent article on TwinCities.com discussing how Minnesota “roared back from the the recession in the 80s” was a quote from the Humphrey Institute.  ”By 2033, there will be more people not working in Minnesota than working,” said Jay Kiedrowski of the Humphrey Institute.

The topic of aging populations has been on my mind the past few weeks.  In particular, I’ve been thinking about and discussing the impact aging populations are beginning to have on associations, and in particular the Minnesota State Auctioneers Association.  In fact, I recently attended a state leadership forum where that very topic was discussed several times.

I’m aware of the potential impact it will have on associations.  Yet, what really gets me going is the impact the aging population will have on the nation, and Minnesota.  Think about it for a second – more people not working than working.  That means more drawing social security than paying – more living on limited fixed incomes and relying on the state for medical assistance, and less contributing to fund the medical needs – more non-traditional residential housing needs, thus more residential housing on the market, and less demand – more needs for service jobs, and less people to do the jobs.  The list is literally infinite.

I’m not sure of any solutions.  I know it’s going to be a rough few decades.  What we’re experiencing right now is just the tip of the iceberg.  Think about it, we have a large rat (baby boomer generation) moving through the snake, followed by smaller rats… when the large rat has moved through, there will be a void.  How we respond to that void will be crucial.  The key is going to be to address as much now as we can, before we’re in the void!