The population of the United States is growing older and will continue to do so.

According to a report, 39 million Americans will be 65 or older by the yew 2010, 51 million by 2020, and 65 million by 2030.

   The "graying" of the United States is mainly due to the fact that people in the U. S. living longer. As a matter of fact, the number of U.S. citizens 85 years old and older is growing six times as fast as the rest of the population. It is also largely due to the old-growing of the "baby boomers," the generation born after World War II. In 1957, over 4.3 million babies were born. More than 75 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964, the largest generation in U.S. history. In less than twenty pears, millions of them will become elderly people.

   The "graying" of the U.S. will greatly affect the nation's family and workforce. One likely development will be a gradual change in the family unit; it will move away from the nuclear family and towards a multigenerational family. The other likely development will be a change m the proportion (比例) of the nation's workforce. In 1989 there were 3.5 workers for every person 65 and older; by the year 2030, there will only be 2 workers for every person 65 and older.

Title  76. Graying USA_