By Samantha Palans, The Boomer Blog Editorial Content Manager; Fleishman-Hillard Account Supervisor

Current news coverage indicates baby boomers are not only delaying retirement, but also contributing to workforce growth. According to a recent AARP study referenced by Linda Stollings in the Herald Courier, workers aged 55 plus will account for almost 50 percent of projected labor force growth between 2002 and 2012.

And just today, Indiana’s Department of Commerce released a report examining how aging baby boomers are currently affecting employers and the issues they will face when older Americans finally do retire.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Marian Salzman: Scapegoat Boomers ... A Generation of Black Sheep?
Brent Green
Boomers
January 1, 2009

Overview: “What happens when a social/political commentator transforms a generation into the nation's scapegoat, figuratively a black sheep?”

http://boomers.typepad.com/

Polls assess Baby Boomer technology use
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 5, 2009

Overview: “When it comes to using cell phones, most Baby Boomers just use them to make and receive calls, not as a portal to the Internet.”

http://tinyurl.com/8kb7hh

A happy New Year's day for boomers
Jane Glenn Haas
Orange County Register
January 2, 2009

Overview: “On New Year's Day, the sun was shining on a future where people 60-plus are making a difference. That's worthy of a strut down everybody's Main Street.”

http://tinyurl.com/a8gcu4

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

AARP Survey Finds Economy Takes Toll On Health
MediaPost
January 5, 2009

Overview: “All this fretting about the economy is causing health problems for one in five middle-aged and older adults, according to a survey by the AARP."

http://tinyurl.com/7ryshw

Retailers Aren't Sensitive to the Needs of Baby Boomers
Advertising to Baby Boomers
January 6, 2008

Overview: “An Email: I'm a 48 year old baby boomer re-entering the world of advertising. I've been absent over the last 18 years, got into commission sales with my husband and lost track…”

http://advertisingtobabyboomers.blogspot.com/

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Econ slump hitting older Americans hard, AARP says
Reuters
January 6, 2009

Overview: “Older Americans are spending less on entertainment and restaurant meals as the recession forces them to focus on paying for essentials such as food, gas and medicine, a survey released on Tuesday said.”

http://tinyurl.com/9eaunq

Campaign on boomers' benefits
Emi Endo
Newsday
January 7, 2009

Overview: “The Social Security Administration yesterday launched a public service campaign featuring actress Patty Duke to encourage the 80 million baby boomers heading into retirement to apply online for their benefits.”

http://tinyurl.com/78ngfb

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Older folks like Wii, PCs and cell phones, too
Edward C. Baig
USA Today
January 7, 2008

Overview: “EA says about a third of visitors to its Pogo.com puzzle, word and board game site are Boomers or older who say they play Pogo games to keep their minds sharp. Howard Byck, senior vice president of lifestyle products at AARP, says its own gaming area (Sudoku, Solitaire, etc.) is the most-visited part of aarp.org. He says 7 million Boomers without kids at home have video game systems.”

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2009-01-07-seniors-tech-products_N.htm

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Tech Marketers' Next Opportunity: Boomers
Laurie Sullivan
MediaPost Publications
January 9, 2009

Overview: “Increasingly savvy baby boomers--who are 100 million strong in the U.S. and control billions in disposable income--could be the target for tech marketers during the next few years, according to a joint study by TNS Compete and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).”

http://tinyurl.com/7vm7pk

3 Ways Baby Boomers and Seniors are Coping with the Recession
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
January 8, 2009

Overview: “This is how baby boomers and seniors say they are coping with the recession.”

http://tinyurl.com/a5kebk

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

In Obama, many see an end to baby boomer era
Jocelyn Noveck
The Associated Press
January 12, 2009

Overview: “Generational change. A passing of the torch. The terms have been thrown around with frequency as the moment nears for Obama to take the oath of office.”

http://tinyurl.com/8u6ujb

The Consumer Electronics Show's inaugural Silvers Summit focuses on the intersection of baby boomers, their parents and technology
Michelle Maltais
Los Angeles Times
January 10, 2009

Overview: “When it comes to technology, older Americans have done a cultural reboot.”

http://tinyurl.com/857l7o

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Summit focuses on technological solution for baby boomers as they age
Rita R. Robison
Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 13, 2009

Overview: “How technology can help baby boomers was the topic of discussion at the Silvers Summit on Saturday as part of the 2009 International Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. “

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/boomerconsumer/archives/159302.asp

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

7 Ways the Stimulus Plan Will Help Retirees
Philip Moeller
U.S. News & World Report
January 14, 2009

Overview: “Trillion-dollar program won't address longer-term needs and generational conflicts.”

http://tinyurl.com/9359b3

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Survey: Baby boomers rate their health good or excellent
Marjie Gilliam
Cox Newspapers
January 14, 2009

Overview: “The survey, which included 1,051 men and women, revealed that 73 percent of baby boomers regard their own health and that of their spouses as good or excellent. Nearly two-thirds feel younger than their chronological age, and more than half (55 percent) said they feel healthier than their parents were at the same age.”

http://tinyurl.com/96va97

Female Boomers as conscientious objectors
Dena Kouremetis
Examiner.com
January 15, 2009

Overview: “As a leading-edge lady Baby Boomer born in the early 1950s, I live to discuss, analyze and wax poetic on all that goes into being une femme d’une certaine age (a woman of indeterminate age) in the 21st century.”

http://tinyurl.com/8t7hbw

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Obama Administration: Already a shade of gray
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 16, 2009

Overview: “A look at the incoming Obama Administration shows it is not quite as young as people might think, especially when it comes to matters of war. There's a distinct tinge of gray to his incoming cabinet and senior advisers.”

http://tinyurl.com/a6kosg

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Baby Boomers
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
January 15, 2009

Overview: “Many boomers have already claimed their Social Security due. But that doesn’t mean this large generation will quietly fade into retirement, even if they can still afford to. Here’s a look at some interesting stats from the past year.”

http://tinyurl.com/82ww2s

Boomers, Gen-Y, Gen-Xers and Now, Cuspers
Cliff Mason
CNBC
January 13, 2009

Overview: “The idea that boomers have now been supplanted by... younger boomers because Obama won the election doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Would the baby boomers have stopped being the ‘top dogs’ and ceded that position back to their parents if John McCain had won the election?”

http://www.cnbc.com/id/28643759

Meet the Boomers!
The Edmond Sun
January 15, 2009

Overview: “’Meet the Boomers!’ is The Sun’s new monthly publication aimed at the baby boomer generation.”

http://tinyurl.com/7rjpo2

Doro to Offer Phones for Active Seniors and Baby Boomers
Raju Shanbhag
TMCnet
January 16, 2009

Overview: “Looking to cover new markets and customers, Doro has announced that the company will continue introducing mobile and corded phones across the U.S.”

http://tinyurl.com/7ogllf

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers and the Future of Luxury Brands
Brent Green
Boomers
January 18, 2009

Overview: “Many opportunities exist to convert luxury into longevity and superb into sustainability — core values Boomers seek today with their discretionary dollars. And don’t be misled. Boomers still have billions of discretionary dollars remaining to spend yearly. By far they currently have greater economic clout than any other generational cohort, so to eschew this market would be economic suicide.”

http://boomers.typepad.com/

Obama speech seeks separation from Baby Boomer politics
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 20, 2009

Overview: “As he did three years ago in his book, Barack Obama did again in his inaugural speech today -- separate himself and his new administration from the petty politics practiced by his Baby Boomer predecessors.”

http://tinyurl.com/aywu87

The Baby Boomer Legacy
Philip F. Harris
American Chronicle
January 17, 2009

Overview: “Many have said that the election of Barack Obama represents the end of the era of the baby-boomer generation. I beg to differ. In fact, the election of Obama is the fulfillment of the baby boomer generation.”

http://tinyurl.com/6scg8z

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Retirement Living TV Gets Boost
Sam Schechner
Wall Street Journal
January 16, 2009

Overview: “Comcast Deal Will Expand Audience as More Marketers Pursue Older Crowd.”

http://tinyurl.com/dfdm8h

Encore Education
Boomer Consumer
January 21, 2009

Overview: “Adults aged 50 and older now account for 3.8 percent of U.S. students enrolled in courses at degree-granting colleges and universities, and that number is increasing, according to Mary Beth Lakin, associate director for the center of Lifelong Learning at the American Council on Education.”

http://tinyurl.com/bdxxez

Words of wisdom for baby boomer consumers from Martin Luther King Jr.
Rita R. Robison
Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 19, 2009

Overview: “Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I read through his quotes to see if there were any of the less familiar ones that I thought would have special meaning for baby boomers consumers on the day we mark his birthday.”

http://tinyurl.com/cfqo29

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A Grandma or Grandpa by Any Other Name Is Just as Old
Ann Zimmerman
Wall Street Journal
January 23, 2009

Overview: “Aging baby boomers are in the midst of a grandbaby boom, and they're struggling with a bunch of issues. How to be attentive grandparents while having a busy career and, increasingly, caring for their own elderly parents? How to stay close to the tykes while living far away? But one of the most vexing issues they face is deciding what they want to be called by their grandchildren, lest it make them sound -- and feel -- old. It's another example of how baby boomers, whose anthem was Bob Dylan's ‘Forever Young,’ are not going gently into old age.”

http://tinyurl.com/bab6jv

Baby boomers get physical
Toby Sells
Memphis Business Journal
January 23, 2009

Overview: “Industry insiders aren’t eager to call physical therapy a ‘recession-proof’ business, but most agree that baby-boomer demand has so far kept it sheltered from the economic storm.”

http://tinyurl.com/dbwatp

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

They Warned You About Us
Michael Winerip
New York Times
January 23, 2009

Overview: “WE sat in the editor’s office trying to think of a less embarrassing name for the column. The Middle Ages? Generation B? Crossroads? No one had the heart to say Boomers.”

http://tinyurl.com/cpkn7y

Aging boomers find a refuge in tai chi
Susan Swartz
The Press Democrat
January 26, 2009

Overview: “Those seeking peace of mind, body and spirit find help in the 'soft' martial arts.”

http://tinyurl.com/c5o6ds

Boom(er) Times in Grand Junction: Hail to the boomers in chief
Jim Spehar
Grand Junction Free Press
January 26, 2009

Overview: “For those of us who jump-started ‘Boom(er) Times,’ we said good-bye to the last president of our generation when that shiny helicopter lifted off the White House lawn last Tuesday afternoon following the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States.”

http://tinyurl.com/cmoss6

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Retiring Baby Boomers Could Consolidate Financial Services
Financial-planning.com
January 26, 2009

Overview: “As baby boomers head toward retirement, they will likely decrease the number of relationships they have with financial institutions and reshape the entire industry, according to new research from the Retirement Income Industry Association.”

http://tinyurl.com/brfd3j

The math of your Social Security calculation
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 26, 2009

Overview: “Early-wave Baby Boomers started collecting Social Security last year, a trickle that is becoming a torrent -- 10,000 Baby Boomers will apply for benefits every day for the next 20 years. But be advised if you are part of that torrent: The calculation of your Social Security benefits may not accurately represent what you'll collect when the time comes to actually retire.”

http://tinyurl.com/at9sjp

Something to Think About
Sindya Bhanoo
The Washington Post
January 26, 2009

Overview: “There is no strong medical evidence that games such as these boost mental capacity or slow the aging process, but aging baby boomers have been investing heavily in brain fitness books and classes, as well as computer games and memory improvement workshops.”

http://tinyurl.com/adr86o

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Not too old to hit the slopes: Industry sees changes as baby boomers keep skiing
Joan Verdon
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
January 26, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers, part of the generation that first propelled skiing to mainstream popularity in the United States, are staying on the slopes for far longer, and in greater numbers, than anyone imagined possible a decade ago.”

http://tinyurl.com/dn776c

Lady Boomers rock today's economy
Dena Kouremetis
Examiner.com
January 27, 2009

Overview: “Lady Boomers are literally redefining what it is to be female and middle aged.”

http://tinyurl.com/cou47n

Physical therapists to Baby Boomers: 'Thanks for the work'
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 28, 2009

Overview: "Physical therapists have a job that is about as recession proof as they come, and they have Baby Boomers to thank.”

http://tinyurl.com/agsfyu

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

From business to fun: What generations do online
Sharon Jayson
USA Today
January 29, 2009

Overview: “Teens and young adults seem to live online, but a new report by the Pew Research Center finds that other generations are catching up: Generation X primarily uses the Internet for shopping and banking; Baby Boomers for travel reservations; and the 70-plus crowd for e-mail.”

http://tinyurl.com/bgu7aq

TeeBeeDee Boomer Poll Finds that Health Comes First -- Money is Secondary Concern
Emediawire.com
January 29, 2009

Overview: “Online Boomer Social Network TeeBeeDee surveyed members and found that older Americans are less worried about the current economic crisis and more concerned about staying healthy.”

http://tinyurl.com/b2mdf5

Baby Boomers better prepared for TV switch
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 29, 2009

Overview: “This is a surprise: Baby Boomers and older Americans are better prepared for the switch over to digital television than younger people.”

http://tinyurl.com/dhetxr

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Elderhostel holds Baby Boomer travel appeal
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 30, 3009

Overview: “Elderhostel has been around since 1975, offering packaged trips that heap education on top of the travel. But a recent story from the Associated Press has renewed some buzz about the organization because it is putting Baby Boomers right in its marketing cross hairs.”

http://tinyurl.com/baxbjh

50 is the new 40…..but only if you are 45!
Maturemarket.co.uk
January 30, 2009

Overview: “New research from Standard Life has revealed that 30% of the population think middle age hits between 46 and 50.”

http://tinyurl.com/an3rqb

Cover story: Boomers power up by aging in place
Carisa Chappell
Washington Times
January 30, 2009

Overview: “Trade organizations, along with the homebuilding and remodeling industry, are taking notice of what aging homeowners want.”

http://tinyurl.com/bt75tj