However ~
I also know a collection of 20-something engineers, some with fresh PE's, some "not yet". I work with them, in a firm that actually cares about staff morale, and goes about showing it in a (mostly) un-selfconscious way, earning that loyalty I talked about before. Those folks half my age and less are sharp and dedicated, not to the buck they're making, but to the quality of the work.
So, yes - it's a new paradigm in the corporate culture, and way overdue in my learned opinion. I'm happy to see it.