This takes time and money to replace and in the mean time we are at risk of loosing our competitive advantage overseas to the BRICK economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Korea). As hard as it is to envision, given our current economic climate, organizations need to start thinking seriously about training and retaining younger workers and gaining the continued commitment of older workers. They can do this by creating a more flexible attraction and retention programs and approaches to retirement that allows people to continue to contribute well into their sixties and seventies. Putting in longer term workforce planning strategies now could provide a real competitive edge when the upturn comes.