Census: Fewer young workers to support U.S. growth

The number of Americans ages 25 to 44 has dropped 1.5% since 2000, shrinking the pool of young workers in some states despite a 7% increase in the country’s overall population, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Census data to be released today.

The influx of immigrants, which has contributed to more than half of the nation’s growth this decade, has not been enough to offset the aging of the nation’s 79 million baby boomers, which has depleted the ranks of young workers.

The drain on the workforce is most obvious in the Northeast and Midwest, where most of the 20 states that registered declines of 5% or more in the 25-44 age group are located.

"Older industrial states are facing a double whammy: the loss of the younger, high-fertility workers and a diminished attraction of immigrants," says William Frey, demographer at the Brookings Institution.

By Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg, USA TODAY

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2008-05-01-census_N.htm