What is Gen Age, Characteristics, Influence and Difference from Millennials

Generation There is a generation which is mostly born between 1965 and 1980. At some places the dates are slightly different, such as 1965-1979 or slightly later, but generally it is considered the same. Today (in 2025-2026) the age of these people is approximately between 45 to 61 years. These people are the generation after the Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and before the Millennials (1981-1996). This generation has grown up amid major changes in the world.

He covered the advent of personal computers, the advent of the Internet, the era of MTV, the AIDS epidemic, and many economic ups and downs. There were changes in families also. Both parents working, divorce high, single parent homes, so many Gen X kids returned home from school to find the house empty. They were called ‘latchkey kids’ because they took care of themselves.

How big are the numbers and influence of Gen

The share of Gen X in the total world population is about 17-19%. But his influence is huge. They constitute about 31% of the workforce in America. At the global level, their share in leadership roles like CEO and manager has been more than 50%, around 51%. These people are also the owners of many small businesses. About 47% of the small business owners in America are Gen X. These are known by many names:

  • Latchkey Generation (self-reliant)
  • MTV Generation (because of music videos and pop culture)
  • Slackers (sometimes called lazy, but these were practical)
  • Baby Bust (a generation with fewer children because the birth rate declined)
  • Forgotten generation, because the media and discussion focus more on Boomers or Millennials
  • What are the special things about Gen X people?
  • These people are very practical, independent, sensible and adaptable. Living alone as a child made him:
  • learned to solve problems myself
  • managing one’s own routine
  • take decisions yourself

What does the research say?

Research shows that about 40% of Gen Due to which he became very self-dependent. They give great importance to work-life balance. Seeing parents busy with work, they give priority to family and personal life. He is also a bit pessimistic and skeptical because he saw the economic recession, layoffs in companies, loss of trust in institutions. They prefer quality, reliability and stability over looks. In psychological studies, they score better than the younger generation in self-control. Many people have entrepreneurial mindset. Prefer to run your own business or work independently. Now they are called sandwich generation because many people take care of their old parents and also take responsibility of their children, young or old. Research shows that 54% of people aged 40-59 years are in this situation, which causes a lot of stress on them.

How to attract Gen

Respect and support Gen

  • Provide flexibility: Hybrid work, flexible timing so that both family and work can be managed.
  • Give recognition: Praise good work, give opportunities for promotion. Gallup survey revealed that their engagement (interest in work) has decreased from 35% to 31% since 2020, so they need more appreciation
  • Provide training: Help them navigate new technologies and changes so they feel confident

What are the differences between Gen X and Millennials?

Gen

Easy comparison here:

aspect

Gen

Millennials

The way to work

Like freedom, want less surveillance

Love teamwork, constant feedback and collaboration.

technology

Learned, adapted later in career

Digital from birth, easy to use

career priority

Stability, job security, path to development

Purpose, learning opportunities

Communications

Face-to-face, phone, email preferred

Instant ways like chat, message, video call

work-life balance

want to keep work and home separate

Like to mix work-life according to schedule

spending habits

Focus on quality, value and reliability

Spending on experience, convenience, tech-based things

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