Baby Boomers to Dominate Upcoming Census Release

In the second tranche in a series from Statistics Canada's 2011 census, set to be released on May 29th 2012, experts predict that "It will be apparent in black and white how fast the baby boomers are entering their golden years, and how quickly the population of seniors is overtaking the number of youngsters."

With the baby-boom bubble growing older and the national birth rate slowly dropping, this trend should be of little surprise to many, however analysts say that "policy makers and businesses alike have, until very recently, largely ignored the challenges posed by an aging society."

According to Lynn McDonald, director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto, "We have to think about it everywhere, in everything we do, including government, including business."

Reinforcing this view, experts predict that the census will show "evidence that the number of people in Canada over the age of 65 will soon outnumber those under the age of 15 -- the result of a surging senior population and a steady decline in the ranks of children.

Once the official data is released, McDonald hopes that "The census will serve to confirm the long-term trends, clarify the exact configuration of the workforce and retirees, and -- she hopes -- prompt a national conversation on changes that need to be made to accommodate the aging population."

With this record setting age disparity in the Canadian workforce, its impacts in regards to knowledge loss within Canadian businesses and governments is a crucial element that demands consideration. The census information will serve to highlight the very crucial need for effective knowledge management practices within both the private and public sectors.