Demographic changes and their impact on society

Abstract

This article presents some of the demographic changes with the strongest impact on society, particularly regarding social security, which is much questioned nowadays due to the problematic posed by its fi nancial insolvency.

Within the changes above mentioned there could be counted population ageing, higher life expectancy, the growing insecurity prevalent all around, unemployment, the increase in informal trade, the arriving to retirement of the baby boomers generation, which entails threats and opportunities, such as the creation of new businesses. There are also issues such as gender equality, since the female segment is, on many fronts, increasingly closer to the male one; agerelated discrimination in the workplace; and the knowledge management, which has become a mandatory subject of study for academics and managers, since the threat of the so-called “knowledge drain” would loom over business if relevant measures are not taken.