Economy intensifies Gen X discontent; Recession dashed hopes of enjoying rewards of paying some dues
They're antsy and edgy, tired of waiting for promotion opportunities at work as their elders put off retirement. A good number of them are just waiting for the economy to pick up so they can hop to the next job, find something more fulfilling and get what they think they deserve. Oh, and they want work-life balance, too.</br></br>Not necessarily, say people who track the generations. In these hard times, they're also hearing strong rumblings of discontent from Generation X. They're the 32- to 44-year-olds who are wedged between baby boomers and their children, often feeling like forgotten middle siblings -- and increasingly restless at work as a result.</br></br>"All of a sudden, we've gone from being the young upstarts to being the curmudgeons," says Bruce Tulgan, a generational consultant who's written books about various age groups, including his fellow Gen Xers.</br></br>This isn't the first time Gen Xers have faced tough times. They came of age during a recession and survived the dot-com bust of 2000. In recent years, though, more members of the generation -- stereotyped early on as jaded individualists -- had families or began settling down in other ways. It was time, they thought, to enjoy the rewards of paying some dues.</br></br>"We were starting to buy into the system, at least to some extent," Tulgan says, "and then we got the rug pulled out from under us." Now, in the latest economic slump, nearly two-thirds of baby boomer workers, ages 50 to 61, say they might have to push back their retirement, according to a recent survey from Pew Research.