For the past three decades, we have been steadily creating an extreme “time-crunch economy” that has affected jobs, portfolios, businesses and lives. But the “time-crunch economy” is turning into “the leisure economy” and it will mean wrenching adjustments for our lives and institutions. Everyone from consumers, investors, businesses, and policy-makers will need to understand the changes afoot. The Leisure Economy posits profound economic changes in North America due to both the retirement of the baby boomers and the attitudes of ascendant generations X and Y. Looking at trends in demographics, economics and generational change, this book looks at how to stay ahead of the leisure economy and predicts who will be the winners and losers in the seismic shift ahead.

The Leisure Economy offers a provocative and insightful look at the coming sea change in the North American economy. As millions of baby boomers begin to retire, the U.S. and Canadian economies will be flooded with people who literally have time on their hands. And in the workforce, the boomers will be replaced by generations with very different attitudes from the boomers. Gen X and Gen Y understand the worth of leisure time-and when they’re in charge, they just might demand some.As Linda Nazareth explains, the shift away from an intense focus on work towards leisure will make for some profound shocks to our lives, industries and institutions. Lost in the day-to-day frenzy of the time-crunch economy, many have yet to consider what lies ahead and what these changes really mean. For businesses, the shock will be the rudest, but whether you are an investor, a consumer, a business owner or a worker, you need to stay ahead of the curve.

The Leisure Economy gives you a fresh look at the way that economics, demographics and attitude will force profound changes in the North American economy.

• New economic priorities for North America mean companies must plan ahead to face the challenges of the leisure economy. what must the smart ones do?
• As boomers leave the work force in waves, some businesses and industries will face a crisis: How to keep talent? How to sustain grow current markets? How will Gen X’s and Gen Y’s views on work and leisure affect the economy?
• Get ready for a new class of “haves” and “have-nots”. The next big divide in North America will be between the leisure haves and have-nots, and it will be as polarizing as the widening gap between rich and poor.
• A leisure boom does not mean an economic boom: Why the leisure boom may not be good for the economy-or for your portfolio.
• The leisure industries: What will be the growth industries of the future? And what businesses are at risk?
• Busting myths and making bold predictions about who will be the winners and losers in the new world of work, The Leisure Economy fuels the debate about the shifting demographic landscape and gives you insight into how to profit from the coming leisure boom.

“What will it mean when a society used to being time-crunched finds it is awash in leisure time-and how will that affect the economy?”{For years we have been living in a time-crunch economy. You can see evidence of it wherever you look. Commuters start their treks before sunrise, toting special coffee cups that fit right into the cupholders provided by auto manufacturers. Workers use their breaks to arrange rides for their kids to get to their soccer games, and arrange to pick up other kids on the days that they are in charge of the car pool. Dentists offer appointments at 7:00 in the morning, or 7:00 at night. Fast food, frozen food, restaurant food or simply skipping meals has replaced cooking.

“But what if a lot of people suddenly has a lot more time? What if a lot of people wanted a lot more time? What if they started making decisions not on the basis of speed-choosing things that can be consumed or done fast, or which let them do things faster-but on other values? the results would be radical. These consumers would give us a ‘leisure economy,’ and it would affect everyone from workers to investors to businesses to governments.

“In fact, the leisure economy is already in progress, and over the next couple of decades it will only gain steam. If you want to be ahead of the curve, you have to understand why it is happening and what the possible fallout from it will be. Concentrate too much n the time-crunch economy and you may be missing the biggest economic shift to hit North America in decades.” – From The Leisure Economy