Final answer:
Future funding for Social Security is expected to heavily burden the youthful workforce as the baby boom generation ages and claims benefits. This demographic shift leads to an unsustainable dependency ratio, threatening the solvency of Social Security without systemic changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Looking at the demographic changes and the structure of Social Security, future funding for the program will likely place a heavy financial burden on the youthful population. As the baby boom generation ages, more individuals become eligible to draw benefits from Social Security.
However, this aging population is met with a smaller, younger workforce, leading to a shift in the dependency ratio and increased pressure on the payroll taxes that fund these social safety net programs. The solvency of Social Security depends greatly on current workers' contributions, which are projected to fall short in the face of the increasing number of beneficiaries. The long-term outlook suggests that without systemic changes, such as increased revenue through taxes or adjusting benefit levels, the sustainability of Social Security is in jeopardy.