Five generations are working together for the first time in history, according to the World Economic Forum. Many of these workers can benefit from disability insurance, but their specific needs may depend on their age. When marketing disability insurance, consider the priorities and concerns of different generations.
What Are the Five Generations Currently Working?
According to the Department of Labor, as of 2024, the generational composition of the workforce is as follows:
- 1% of workers belong to the Silent Generation.
- 15% of workers belong to the Baby Boomer Generation.
- 31% of workers belong to Generation X.
- 36% of workers belong to the Millennial Generation.
- 18% of workers belong to Generation Z.
How Generation Impacts Disability Insurance Needs
A person’s generation can impact their disability insurance needs in a couple of ways. First, generational values and concerns can impact how people view disability insurance and the most effective way to market it to them. For example, a report from EY found that 39% of Gen Zers are very or extremely stressed or worried about making the wrong choices with their money, and 39% are working both a job and a side hustle to try to get ahead financially. Even though they’re young, they may be interested in paycheck protection, especially if they can lock in affordable rates.
Second, age is a major factor because it often dictates where a person is in life and what their responsibilities are. Someone in their 30s or 40s may be supporting children as well as aging parents. They’re future earning potential is also significant at this age. On the other hand, someone in their 50s may be worried about catching up on retirement savings and how a disability could derail that.
A DI Marketing Guide to Generations
Silent Generation
The Silent Generation was born between 1928 and 1945, based on the generation cutoffs used by Pew Research Center. This makes the youngest Silent Generation members 80 years old in 2025.
Most of these individuals have retired, but the DOL shows that a small percentage of this generation remains in the workforce. They probably won’t qualify for disability insurance anymore, but they may benefit from other types of coverage. They may also have children (or grandchildren!) who need disability insurance.
Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The youngest Baby Boomers are 61 years old in 2025. Some of these workers may still need disability insurance, especially if they’re trying to catch up on retirement savings. They may also be interested in long-term care insurance.
Questions to ask boomer clients:
- At what age are you planning to retire?
- How many years do you have left to work?
- Do you realize that as you get older, the risk of disability due to illness grows?
- Have you thought about what would happen to your retirement savings and your ability to retire on schedule, if your paycheck was indefinitely interrupted due to stroke, cancer or heart disease?
Generation X
Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1980, so they’re between 45 and 60 in 2025. Many members of this generation also belong to the “sandwich” generation, meaning that they’re supporting both children and parents. They have a lot of people depending on their paychecks, and they’re also focused on preparing for retirement.
Questions to ask Gen X clients:
- How many people rely on you for some financial support (kids, spouse, aging parents)?
- How long could you sustain your lifestyle and the support of your loved ones if your paycheck was interrupted?
- You’ve probably made some smart choices with retirement and college savings, but what would happen to those plans if you suffered a disability?
- If the family has two-bread winners, are both protected with disability insurance?
- Do you have employer-sponsored long-term disability protection? Have you done the math to find out the remaining income gap that could be covered by a supplemental DI policy?
Millennials
Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, so they’re between and 29 and 44 in 2025. This generation currently dominates the workforce, so they are prime candidates for disability insurance. Many of them are young enough that they still have good health and can qualify for good rates, but as they age, their risk of disability will increase, so this is a good time to lock in robust coverage. They may also be buying houses and raising families, while still paying off student loans.
Questions to ask Millennial clients:
- How much did you invest in your education? Doesn’t it make sense to protect the earning power you worked so hard to develop?
- What do you see as your greatest asset? Would you agree that it’s your ability to earn a living?
- You have insurance for your home, your vehicle and possibly even life insurance. Doesn’t it make sense that you would also protect your earning power?
- Did you ever see one of your parents struggle with depression, anxiety, cancer, stroke or heart attack? How would your family have been better off with quality disability insurance protection?
- Did you know that the best time to purchase paycheck protection is when you’re young and healthy?
Generation Z
Generation Zers were born between 1997 and 2012, so they’re between 13 and 28 in 2025. The youngest members of Gen Z haven’t entered the workforce yet, but the oldest members are starting to establish their careers. They’ve faced significant economic instability, and many of them are concerned about their financial futures, so they may be interested in locking in disability insurance at a good price.
Questions to ask Gen Z clients:
- How much have you invested in your education – and are you interested in protecting that investment with disability insurance?
- How long could you make ends meet if you had to stop working, and what would you do after that?
- Are you planning to start a family or buy a house in the coming years, and how would loss of income disrupt those plans?
- Did you know that you can lock in lower disability insurance rates when you’re young and healthy?
Want to learn more about generational needs and uncover additional groups in need of disability insurance? Check out these disability insurance markets.