Abstract
During the 1980s the fastest growing segment of the female population will consist of those aged 35 to 44; the teenagers and young adults of the 1960s are the 30-year-olds of the 1980s. They are the children of the postwar baby boom. The baby boom actually lasted from 1946 to 1961, and after 1961, the annual number of births started to decline. Across the nation, school systems are confronted with problems of overcapacity, and because of the low birth rates in the 70s, school systems can anticipate little relief from declining enrollments. A more promising approach may be the development of programs for the older populations-people who want to make career changes, advance themselves, or expand their knowledge. As the baby boom matures, the share of income in the hands of those aged 25 to 44 will rise from 43% in 1978 to 50% in the late 80s. The area of consumer spending that shows the most apparent impact of the baby boom is housing. The rapid expansion in the adult population is noted as an important element in the strong demand for housing that characterized most of the 70s.