ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes changes in the population of the United States expected in the remainder of this century and first half of the next. It examines the impacts of three major patterns in the future population of the United States. These include: the rate of future population growth and the role of immigration in that growth; the changing age structure of the population; and the increasing ethnic diversity of the population. The book then examines the implications of population change for the future rate of growth in the labor force and for the characteristics of the labor force over the coming years. It also explores how the projected changes in population and households may affect the economic well-being of Americans both in terms of aggregate incomes and in terms of income distribution.
