The Challenge of the Baby Bust

Read pages 29-31 of your textbook.  Your textbook states that "people are a firm's most important resource."

Think: Why do you think managers would rank this aspect of business higher than finance, marketing, technology, or product innovation?

How is the population of the United States changing? Read about the Baby Bust here.

Analyze: Why would a falling birth rate in the United States be a problem? How is the demographic makeup of the nation changing?

Assignment: Read the article carefully and write a one page paper answering the following questions:

1. What are some of the causes of the Baby Bust? How is the population of the United States continuing to grow despite the decrease in family size?

2. What are the effects of a low fertility rate and immigration on the business community? What will be the changes in demand for goods and services in the future? How will business need to change and adapt to the changing population?

3. How will the changing population affect public policy in the coming years? What (if anything) d you believe government do to fix this problem?

Provide evidence from the article for your answers! Title your paper Baby Bust and place it in a folder titled Human Resources. This paper is due at the end of class and is worth 10 points.