Societal Aging and Generational Dependency Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the current controversy of support for our rapidly aging population over the next 60 years and the assumptions and measurements used in the discussions of "dependency ratios" that are central to the debate. The President's Commission on Pension Policy is critiqued, as is the possible social security change in receiving full benefits from 65 to 68 years of age. Labor force dependency ratios and society dependency ratios are projected to the year 2050 in order to demonstrate that demographic shifts do not represent any significant increase in the total proportion of groups outside of the "productive" components of the population. Implications of the findings are discussed.