Generation X: The Overlooked Casualties of Modern Economics
Southern Business Review | July 2025
By Staff Contributor
As generational discourse heats up—between the grumbling of Baby Boomers, the debt-laden anxiety of Millennials, and the digital fatigue of Gen Z—one group remains curiously absent from center stage: Generation X.
Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers now sit squarely in their mid-40s to late-50s. While their younger and older peers dominate headlines, protests, and pundit debates, Gen X faces a more quiet erosion of economic promise. Often dubbed the “middle child” of generational cohorts, they are increasingly becoming the silent sufferers of stalled upward mobility, squeezed savings, and underappreciated labor.
Caught in the Crossfire of Transition
Gen X came of age during the economic volatility of the 1980s and early ’90s—a time of corporate downsizing, stagnant wages, and weakened union protections. Just as they entered the workforce, pensions began disappearing, globalization took root, and job security became a relic of the past.
Now, as they near the peak of their careers, many are finding themselves squeezed between supporting aging parents and financially dependent children, all while confronting rising healthcare costs and inadequate retirement readiness. Unlike Baby Boomers, who benefited from postwar prosperity and robust asset appreciation, Gen X often lacked access to affordable real estate and long-term job growth. And unlike Millennials, who may still benefit from time and policy reforms, Gen X has fewer decades left to recover.
No Bailouts, No Spotlight
When the 2008 financial crisis hit, Gen X had just begun building modest financial security. For many, the crash obliterated home equity, depleted retirement savings, and stunted career progress. While Boomers had time to accumulate wealth before the downturn, and Millennials were young enough to pivot, Gen X found themselves decimated in the middle.
And yet, they’ve received little public sympathy or policy focus. No widespread student debt forgiveness, no targeted economic rescue plans. Most Gen Xers simply put their heads down and worked—making them reliable, yes, but politically invisible.
The Corporate Blind Spot
In boardrooms and break rooms alike, Gen Xers now occupy many mid- to senior-level roles, yet often lack access to executive decision-making. In the age of generational branding, they are underrepresented in DEI initiatives, corporate leadership pipelines, and marketing narratives.
Unlike Millennials, who are often courted for their digital savviness, or Boomers, who command institutional clout, Gen X frequently plays the role of stabilizer without recognition. They manage teams, adapt to tech shifts, and mentor younger colleagues—all while being bypassed for major leadership investments.
What Business Leaders Should Do
Smart organizations must reconsider how they engage and retain Gen X talent. These are workers who combine digital fluency with institutional memory. They’re often loyal, pragmatic, and self-reliant—traits shaped by decades of volatility. But if companies fail to invest in their growth, provide flexible retirement planning, or offer leadership development, they risk watching this seasoned cohort quietly disengage.
Now is the time to shift the narrative. Gen X isn’t just a bridge between Boomers and Millennials—they are a vital engine of experience, resilience, and innovation. And they deserve more than to simply be remembered as the “forgotten generation.”
