Millennials have surpassed baby boomers as the nation's largest living generation, according to population estimates released in 2016 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Defined as those between ages 18 to 34 in 2015, they number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million baby boomers (ages 51-69). 

A decade ago, Pew Research offered an early look at the then-newest entrants to the U.S. workforce. Describing them as "digital natives," researchers identified realities that differentiated millennials from other generations. 

In one example, researchers pointed out that this new generation of employees did not expect lifetime employment from a single employer, didn't relish jobs in hierarchical bureaucracies, and didn't expect a full menu of paid corporate benefits.