Why are so many people in their 20s taking so long to grow up?
A few years ago, I read an article saying that “my generation” will be among the first to do less well than their parents’ generation. I wish I still had a link to that article, because things certainly look like they’re going in that direction. They also predicted that home ownership would be out of reach for many in my generation, but they clearly had not foreseen the current housing market crash. Zack Gilbert had an interesting post in this vein about the growing ranks of the underemployed dependent twenty-somethings, in reference to a NY Times article.
Source: zackgilbertSomething I’ve been thinking about lately.
“One-third of people in their 20s move to a new residence every year. Forty percent move back home with their parents at least once. They go through an average of seven jobs in their 20s, more job changes than in any other stretch. Two-thirds spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married.”
That hits close to home, but also with reading that article they didn’t take in account for the 20-something year olds that actually have a degree and can’t find a job because they’re now competing with 40+ year olds whose job was terminated from the economic fall out and no longer have the luxury of a set salary with a retirement plan. Adults who are much older are now taking the summer jobs that we, the “20-something” would normally go after. Even down to the pizza delivery guy.
We’re not incredibly ecstatic about moving in with our parents and not reaching the extent of adulthood, but its kind of hard to become a homeowner, support a family, and raise a child (since thats the criteria of being an adult) when you’re fighting with more people over a mediocre 30,000 a year job even with a degree.
I can’t afford to be an adult.
