A group of researchers in Finland produced a report back in 2003 called, "Preparing for the Labour Market Change, Caused by the Baby Boom Generation". It says that from 2010, the population will start to decrease, and by 2030 will have decreased by about 400,000 people, and that labour capacity will continue it's downward trend through the 2010s, with 30,000 people walking out the door every year. And to make matters worse, we don't have the young people to replace them.



But lead researcher, Kevin Coyne of Coyne Partnership Inc., recently contradicted these predictions. He's on record as saying that given the current trends of delayed retirement, the total number of retirees over the next quarter century will be below 43 million and possibly as low as 32 million.

But David Walker would disagree. He's on record as saying that the mass exodus of baby boomers however fast or slow, will still have an effect on the US's financial system whether they like it or not.

You won't be surprised when I tell you that, with so much hype comes a kind of apathy, and few companies are doing anything right now to get ready for the looming crisis and think business will be the same as before.

Pretending that nothing will change, or that the change will not have an effect on the marketplace, may not be wise. And even if it doesn't effect certain industries, can you say with all honesty, that it won't effect some of your client base, which in turn will effect you anyway?

If the figures are correct, this is a quick peak at what could happen in the next two years.

Buyers will stop purchasing your services in an effort to cut costs in an effort to slow down the threat of closure. And your once healthy list, slowly grows thiner as more and more of your clients face closure.

For recruitment agencies, competition will become unbearable, as searching for the right calibre of people from an ever decreasing recruitment pool, will become tougher than ever before.

We can't stop baby boomers retiring in their droves, but there are three key marketing tactics smart, forward thinking companies can put into place to protect themselves against the looming storm, and they are to:

-- Understand how the looming human capital crisis could effect you -- Build a strong customer outline -- Design a razor-sharp marketing offensive towards building long term alliances

Companies who want to enjoy a boon and not a bust in 2008 and beyond, have no option but to start preparing for the overwhelming loss in human resources now, by implementing razor-sharp marketing tactics.