Posted on 05/31/2016 1:19:52 PM PDT by TigerClaws
Broad demographic shifts in marital status, educational attainment and employment have transformed the way young adults in the U.S. are living, and a new Pew Research Center analysis of census data highlights the implications of these changes for the most basic element of their lives – where they call home. In 2014, for the first time in more than 130 years, adults ages 18 to 34 were slightly more likely to be living in their parents’ home than they were to be living with a spouse or partner in their own household. 1
This turn of events is fueled primarily by the dramatic drop in the share of young Americans who are choosing to settle down romantically before age 35. Dating back to 1880, the most common living arrangement among young adults has been living with a romantic partner, whether a spouse or a significant other. This type of arrangement peaked around 1960, when 62% of the nation’s 18- to 34-year-olds were living with a spouse or partner in their own household, and only one-in-five were living with their parents. 2
By 2014, 31.6% of young adults were living with a spouse or partner in their own household, below the share living in the home of their parent(s) (32.1%). Some 14% of young adults were heading up a household in which they lived alone, were a single parent or lived with one or more roommates. The remaining 22% lived in the home of another family member (such as a grandparent, in-law or sibling), a non-relative, or in group quarters (college dormitories fall into this category).
Young men are now more likely to live with a parent than to live with a spouse or partner; not so for women
It’s worth noting that the overall share of young adults living with their parents was not at a record high in 2014. This arrangement peaked around 1940, when about 35% of the nation’s 18- to 34-year-olds lived with mom and/or dad (compared with 32% in 2014). What has changed, instead, is the relative share adopting different ways of living in early adulthood, with the decline of romantic coupling pushing living at home to the top of a much less uniform list of living arrangements.
Among young adults, living arrangements differ significantly by gender. For men ages 18 to 34, living at home with mom and/or dad has been the dominant living arrangement since 2009. In 2014, 28% of young men were living with a spouse or partner in their own home, while 35% were living in the home of their parent(s). For their part, young women are on the cusp of crossing over this threshold: They are still more likely to be living with a spouse or romantic partner (35%) than they are to be living with their parent(s) (29%). 3
In 2014, more young women (16%) than young men (13%) were heading up a household without a spouse or partner. This is mainly because women are more likely than men to be single parents living with their children. For their part, young men (25%) are more likely than young women (19%) to be living in the home of another family member, a non-relative or in some type of group quarters.
A variety of factors contribute to the long-run increase in the share of young adults living with their parents. The first is the postponement of, if not retreat from, marriage. The median age of first marriage has risen steadily for decades. In addition, a growing share of young adults may be eschewing marriage altogether. A previous Pew Research Center analysis projected that as many as one-in-four of today’s young adults may never marry. While cohabitation has been on the rise, the overall share of young adults either married or living with an unmarried partner has substantially fallen since 1990.
In addition, trends in both employment status and wages have likely contributed to the growing share of young adults who are living in the home of their parent(s), and this is especially true of young men. Employed young men are much less likely to live at home than young men without a job, and employment among young men has fallen significantly in recent decades. The share of young men with jobs peaked around 1960 at 84%. In 2014, only 71% of 18- to 34-year-old men were employed. Similarly with earnings, young men’s wages (after adjusting for inflation) have been on a downward trajectory since 1970 and fell significantly from 2000 to 2010. As wages have fallen, the share of young men living in the home of their parent(s) has risen.
Economic factors seem to explain less of why young adult women are increasingly likely to live at home. Generally, young women have had growing success in the paid labor market since 1960 and hence might increasingly be expected to be able to afford to live independently of their parents. For women, delayed marriage—which is related, in part, to labor market outcomes for men—may explain more of the increase in their living in the family home.
The Great Recession (and modest recovery) has also been associated with an increase in young adults living at home. Initially in the wake of the recession, college enrollments expanded, boosting the ranks of young adults living at home. And given the weak job opportunities facing young adults, living at home was part of the private safety net helping young adults to weather the economic storm.
Do I have to talk about "SAFE SPACES", CHALKINGS", "HOOK UPS", and the fact that kids no longer even know what a "date" is.....well into their 30s ?
SPOT ON !
If they weren't progressing toward independence, we'd help them make a plan to do so (with boot to the backside as needed), but they seem like they are on track. If we can smooth the path to success, we will.
My brother is still with my parents.
He works 60 hours a week. Helps them out immensely because my mom is retired and dad has to still work to make ends meet.
He’s bright, just had to come of age in an era where all of his peers are expected to go to scam school (college), but he would have been better off going to a trade school.
Considering my parents live in a dodgy area at times, I’m personally glad he is there to look after them.
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funny : )
I’ve got three in the demographic. Two are completely on their own. One is just getting by but determined to make it. The third is in college. He’s home for the summer. His job has him working for a couple weeks near his campus so he’s going to crash with some of his roommates who are taking summer classes.
Helicopter parent payback.
And he’s going to school for Engineering, not some sort of liberal Freak studies nonsense. When he gets out, he’s paying back the college loans I gave him.
I’ve been trying to get through to my 18yr old that if he expects to live under my roof he must still comply with my rules. But those rules are pretty simple; if he wants to eat the food I buy, have his laundry done, watch TV, have internet access, etc., he has to do farm chores when he is not at work.
He has 2 part-time jobs and will graduate this Friday. But his last paycheck (about $100) he spent it all on fast food in 3 days! Before that we found his stash of cookies and chips in his room, while the whole time he was mooching our snacks! We bought him a 93 Fork pickup in great shape and had some minor engine repairs done on it for him and he was all excited but when I told him he had to pay for the insurance to drive it he clammed right up and said he would keep riding his bike!
So we cut him off if he is going to blow his hard earned money like that. We haven’t let him eat watch TV, or done his laundry for him in over a week. I asked him why he ate like a horse when I had to pay for it but can get by on little or nothing if he has to pay (been 5 days since we fed him). He works at a pizza shop and brings home a couple of pies that he has been milking all this time.
failure to launch.
It sounds pretty late to have to teach him all he needs to learn but at least you’re trying — many parents don’t. Good luck
Thanks. Glad u like. And Even a 6 year old can keep his room reasonably clean, make his bed, and help out the family by doing a few reasonable chores around the house
Great move cutting him off; I hope that wakes him up.
My family has always had certain age appropriate chores for children to do and now so does my grandson, who MUST do them here, when they visit. LOL...there's just NO getting around doing chores, as far as I'm concerned.
I do think that 6 is a bit young to make his or her own bed, though; 10 is a better age for that.
Lazy, incapable of taking care of themselves ADULTS, is one of the parts of the downfall of society.
Exactly right. Employers prefer foreign workers because many of them still Do the f-—Ing jobs —— they don’t loll around preening themselves or watchjng porno or playing games like too many American hires do. And they show up reliably too Generalities are always unfair to some who dont fit them, of course. But just ask employers and you’ll get quite an earful about problems with many of our American young folks these days. Entitlement philosophy? Just plain lazy? Certainly they got some awfully poor parenting that’s for sure
I think age 6 can make his bed. Age 10 he can make it right. Still does them good at six to make their beds ( and after all they don’t really need to be made up professionally perfect anyway, ha!) imho it’s still very good lesson - like picking up their toys
“My husband and I left our parents to cling to one another. I’m pretty happy with that arrangement.”
I’m sure your parents were too !
:-)
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Turned 18 in navy boot camp.
My dad wanted me out after high school. “Go fend for yourself boy!”
Everything I have I’ve earned myself. Can’t say that about most of the people I’ve grown up with.
My parents are gone, G-d rest their souls.
They would not believe some of the stuff happening in the culture these days.
5.56mm
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