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is that more people are moving to
Arkansas. Data from the U.S. Census
Bureau indicates more people have been • 78.2 million baby boomers were
moving into the state than moving out born between 1946 and 1964
for at least the past two years. • 69.6 million in Generation X were
“On a positive note, we are see- born between 1965 and 1985
ing that Arkansas is holding its own
in population growth,” Childers said. • 88 million in Generation Y, also
“While a lot of states, and some states known as millennials, were born
around us, have had significant drops in between 1985 and 2005
population, Arkansas has held its own
and even had increases in population
through the pandemic.”
Arkansas has gained around
10,000 people each year for the past
two years, and the transportation
industry apparently absorbed some of
the newcomers. Looking at year-over-
year growth, Childers said, “Trade,
transportation and utilities increased Gronbach
14,200 [jobs], so you’re on the right
track. There is movement. There are jobs
being filled.” That increase means the
sector is close to reaching pre-pandemic
levels of employment.
Childers wasn’t the only speaker “BABY BOOMERS HAVE YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
to see hope and possibility in BETWEEN THEIR EARS. THE BABY BOOMERS THAT ARE
population numbers. Ken Gronbach, RETIRING HAVE BEEN WITH YOU THE LONGEST, WHICH
a demographer and author, provided MEANS THEY’RE PROBABLY THE BEST. YOU’VE GOT TO
analysis of national and international
population trends and implications GET THAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OUT OF THEIR
for the trucking industry. General BRAINS AND INTO SOMEBODY ELSE, SO YOU’VE GOT TO
population numbers are important COME UP WITH A TRAINING PROGRAM TO DO THAT.”
because they determine the size of end-
user markets and talent pools.
Gronbach used data on births to —KEN GRONBACH, UPSIDE: PROFITING FROM THE PROFOUND
make the point that there were bound DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS AHEAD AUTHOR
to be labor shortages and drops in
sales simply because one generation,
Generation X, is significantly smaller
than the generation before it. gest, which means they’re probably the back to the [United] States. It’s coming
The good news, he said, is that best. You’ve got to get that intellectual back to where there’s labor. It’s coming
Generation Y, the millennials, is sig- property out of their brains and into back to where there are consumers.”
nificantly larger; therefore, there will somebody else, so you’ve got to come up These, of course, are long-term
be more consumers and more candi- with a training program to do that.” predictions that require patience, which
dates in the labor pool in the coming Gronbach’s analysis of population is more feasible for some motor carriers
years. It’s important for carriers to start trends wasn’t limited to the United than others. Gronbach offered short-
thinking about how to transfer com- States. China, in contrast to the U.S., term suggestions based not just on
pany knowledge from one generation to has a shrinking population, as do sev- the numbers but on the values held by
the next. eral other Asian countries. Russia has many members of Generation Y. Each
“Baby boomers have your intel- also seen a decline in births. generation has its own identity and
lectual property between their ears,” “And what does that mean to you?” defining traits.
Gronbach said. “The baby boomers that Gronbach asked the audience. “That
are retiring have been with you the lon- means that manufacturing is coming 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 3 2022 23