It's what I've faced as a member of the "baby bust" (the group following the boom). Companies have no "loyalty" to employees, you can and will be replaced with a cheaper alternative. Get you off the permanent expense list. Get you off the benefits package.
There isn't a lack of younger talent out there. There is an unwillingness to hire permanent workers and keep them "until retirement". 7 years, 12 years... is considered a good run these days.
That’s the American capitalist system. Labor is a commodity like any other commodity. What we receive in payment depends on the value of our labor. We need to make ourselves more valuable or suffer the consequences. Or move to an inefficient socialist system like Germany or France. Good luck!
Well that argument goes both ways. I am suffering first hand because it is almost impossible to find a decent employee that will stick around. My company has hired 2 people in the last year that have worked for just a little while and took off. It isn’t that bad of a place to work, trust me. There has to be just a little bit of loyalty to the company for the employees too. Personally speaking, these jerks have pretty much doubled my work load, and I work 50+ hours a week as it is.