The Power of a Young Population

The power of a young population

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The power of a young population

The developed world is getting old fast. The baby boomers had their heyday, the world got rich, and the subsequent generations stopped having kids.

Now, as the population ages, there will be fewer working-age carers and taxpayers to support more retirees and dependents. Fewer people working means less consumption, higher costs, staff shortages, and increasing government shortfalls.

In the US, 17% of the population is over 65 years of age. For the UK, it’s 19%, and for Japan, it’s 30%. Since 1960, the number of 65+ has almost doubled for the US and UK, while for Japan, the number has risen 400%. And the trend is continuing.

Economists look to the ‘age dependency ratio‘ – a measure of productive workers to retired – as a gauge of economic resilience. The trend is obvious:

age dependency ratio

The percentage of working age remains pretty stable at about 60%-65% of the population, but the proportion of retirees is growing disproportionately large.

percentage of working age

China will soon experience the same old-age phenomenon as a result of its long-standing one-child policy.

Meanwhile, the birth rates in developed nations continue to plummet.

Thankfully, there are a few countries with higher birth rates and young populations. The Philippines, a proud catholic country, is reproducing at double the rate of the US.

With stagnant population growth, developed countries long ago realized that the only way to fill jobs and keep the economy growing was to import labor, either through permanent immigration or temporary visas.

Historically, strong border controls limited these flows and strictly controlled labor migration.

In the last ten years, with the industry moving online and into the cloud, workers could suddenly join the global economy without moving countries or crossing borders. They didn’t even have to leave home.

The Internet revolution has mobilized millions of workers without any physical migration.

People have blamed outsourcing for job losses, but unemployment levels remain at record lows, and job openings are seeing record highs.

Instead of being a problem for the West, offshore staffing seems necessary for its aging population and staff shortages.

It’s a win-win.

Developing nations get the paying jobs they need, while the developed countries access (relatively) cheap staff, and can keep their economies moving.

The question for your business:

What’s your 20 year hiring strategy? Robots, or retirees?

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the average all-in employment costs in the
Philippines are typically 70% less than its
Western counterparts

Philippines United Kingdom Australia United States
Software Developer
$7,221
$39,913
$62,653
$81,994
HR Manager
$9,506
$46,669
$66,518
$78,007
Team Leader
$7,152
$31,174
$45,428
$75,823
Accountant
$5,959
$58,479
$67,190
$72,923
Copy Writer
$4,767
$52,088
$56,600
$62,653
Customer Service
$3,337
$22,137
$29,717
$35,275
Virtual Assistance
$2,285
$39,066
$42,240
$31,797
Select a role to view salaries
Philippines $7,221
United Kingdom $39,913
Australia $62,653
United States $81,994

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About OA

Outsource Accelerator is the trusted source of independent information, advisory and expert implementation of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

The #1 outsourcing authority

Outsource Accelerator offers the world’s leading aggregator marketplace for outsourcing. It specifically provides the conduit between world-leading outsourcing suppliers and the businesses – clients – across the globe.

The Outsource Accelerator website has over 5,000 articles, 450+ podcast episodes, and a comprehensive directory with 4,000+ BPO companies… all designed to make it easier for clients to learn about – and engage with – outsourcing.

About Derek Gallimore

Derek Gallimore has been in business for 20 years, outsourcing for over eight years, and has been living in Manila (the heart of global outsourcing) since 2014. Derek is the founder and CEO of Outsource Accelerator, and is regarded as a leading expert on all things outsourcing.