Pennsylvania is facing a trend that is also impacting much of the nation. As the numbers of retirees continues to grow throughout the state, projections are not as rosy for a younger generation.

Those revelations were pointed out in a Center Square article that appeared in Monday’s Times Observer. What makes this so concerning is an expectation that future economic stagnation could become a serious problem for state agencies to provide services and maintain existing infrastructure, but it’s also a problem for taking care of the booming retired population.

“The retiree cohort (age 65 to 79) increased 3.2% per annum from 2010 to 2020 and is projected to expand 2.8% per annum in the near term and 0.9% per annum in the long term,” the Independent Fiscal Office report noted. “The increase in this age cohort and the next age cohort implies strong demand for health care and long-term care services moving forward.”

While Pennsylvania is not alone, it’s situation is a bit worse than many others. In 2010, the state had 3.9 working-age residents to retirees compared to the national average of 4.6.

By 2030, Pennsylvania is expected to have 2.4 working-aged residents to retirees compared to the national average of 2.7.

Making this issue even more worrisome is the current issue workplaces are having finding people to fill positions. Retirees have put in their time in the workforce. A younger generation needs to fill a gap in a service economy. With those numbers decreasing — those 24 and under — that does put services at risk.