Baby Boomers Impact the U.S. Labor Force
The U.S. labor force is being impacted by the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. It is estimated that approximately 76 million will retire from the labor force within the next five years. The exiting of the Baby Boomers from the workforce is also impacting the U.S. Federal Government in the loss of experience in contract administration and procurement. Those who are taking on the job responsibilities within the U.S. Federal Government do not have the extensive job knowledge or the benefit of the years of practical experience in their respective positions.
The large segment of the workforce exiting the U.S. Federal Government has resulted in the Government having to recruit to fill open position categories, several of which require specific job knowledge. The Federal Government is competing with the private sector to fill these positions and, therefore, needs to offer benefits which will be attractive to the applicant pool.
The mission of many federal agencies depends on the mobility of their civilian transferees. It is not uncommon for agencies to require select civilian employees to sign mobility agreements as a condition of their employment.
In the early 1980s, the Federal Government authorized direct reimbursement of only specific expenses to their relocating employees. In 1984, the Government recognized that in order to recruit and retain talent, it would need to provide relocation benefits which would compete with the private sector. Public Law 98-151 was passed authorizing agencies to enter into relocation contracts which offer home sale assistance and destination services.
Currently, both private and public sectors are competing for the same segment of the workforce. As the Baby Boomers head toward retirement, it becomes more critical that the Government relocation program is competitive with the private sector. Recommendations from the Government Relocation Advisory Board (GRAB) incorporate industry best practices into the civilian government relocation program, ensuring that it will remain a viable tool in recruitment and retention.
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