Hello, I must be going

Fewer workers are planning to retire in the next few years, which "could have a profound effect on the workplace over the next several years," said Max Caldwell, head of Towers Perrin's global work force effectiveness practice. "As older employees decide to stay in the work force, advancement opportunities for younger workers will be increasingly limited. Baby Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y cohorts will likely interface more often and for a longer period of time." So here's the conflict:

1. Older Americans ought to keep working in order to lighten the burden of Social Security and assorted benefits on younger generations.

2. Older Americans ought to retire in order to make room for younger generations with their noses pressed to the closed window of the job market.

3. Before the economic downturn. Americans had begun to work longer, prompted by changes in Social Security, longevity and attitudes. Now, dwindling 401(k)s have delayed retirement for many.

I have no idea how this conflict will play out, but regardless of age, we all have an interest in the outcome.