Posted on 04/20/2017 9:19:50 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
At this rate, the United States is going to need immigrants of all kinds to continue growth.
A new Census Bureau study has just reported a sobering commentary on the current generation of young people.
“There are now more young people living with their parents than in any other arrangement…What is more, almost 9 in 10 young people who were living in their parents’ home a year ago are still living there today, making it the most stable living arrangement.”
It’s a factor largely of the economy, but also social mores and trends. The traditional lifetime pattern, you may recall, was for young people to leave their parents’ home for college or shortly after. After graduation, they got a job, set up their own accommodation and the usual courtship routine began. All this in their 20s.
Now, the Census reports, that process has largely been pushed into the 30s. Most still marry, but later, reducing the window for children in families.
But today the primary living arrangement between the ages of 18 and 34 is to live, spouseless, back in their parents’ home. That’s almost 23 million Americans, three million more than residing with a spouse.
And this has all happened rather quickly, as demographic changes go. As late as 2005, a majority of these young people lived independently in their own household, the dominant living arrangement in 35 states. Ten years later that was the case in only six states.
The states with the highest percentage of re-filled empty nests are concentrated on the coasts, while states with the lower percentages are in Mountain and Midwestern states.
Of those living with Mom and Dad, one-in-four is unemployed or not attending school. This mirrors a decline in the economic status of young men. In 1975, Census points out, only 25% of males between 25 and 34 earned less than $30,000 a year. Last year that percentage was a whopping 41%.
All of which is ominous economically in part because of the student debt situation. Not only have those with college loans grown from 17% in 1989 to 41% in 2013, but the size of the debts has nearly tripled.
Young people are still marrying at roughly the same rate, but older. Surveys show the ideal age most Americans consider for marriage is 25 with the young people graduated and supporting themselves. But today only 24% are married by then.
About 20 years ago women had a 59% chance of marriage by age 25. By 2010, that was down to 44%. Yet the percentage actually married by age 40 changed little, from 86% to 84%. All of this can delay having children, and reduce the number likely.
However, the Census study also revealed a stunning statistic that usually presages poverty: “Parenthood now precedes marriage for many women. Nearly 40% of all births in the United States are to unmarried women.”
Many young people with good college degrees...???
Many of today’s colleges don’t graduate needed and qualified people just a whole lot self centered liberal pussies that don’t know how to contribute to society, just take from society.
Society needs a reboot to get back to reality.
My household is one of these however my kid has a good job and pays rent. There are a lot of reasons for these expanded households. Low job prospects are one and they can be caused by unrealistic expectations. I can’t count the number of young people whose goal after college was to work for Disney.
It used to be important to get married and start having children, now it’s not. Parents actually discourage marriage in their college age daughters (they’re proud of careers, not marriage). They’d rather their offspring fornicate than be married It all adds up to a lost generation.
Europe suffers its colonies. The U.S. was a contemptuous colony itself. Breaking off from the crown should have been done a bit differently. At least in the aftermath of independence. Washington and Jefferson were appalled, haunted even, by the realization of what was taking place during the French Revolution. Throwing off centuries of monarchy wasn’t an easy transition. WWI is certainly a testament to that.
“Just because everything is different doesn’t mean anything has changed.” - Irene Peter
There are 300 MILLION people in the USA. There is no population issue.
A little bit of the hair of the dog, eh?
A significant number of young adults are having a hard time getting started financially, especially the ones who would be producers rather than takers. In the STEM fields, many of the first or second jobs are blocked by the flood of lower-tier H1B workers.
Obviously, that's not the whole story, but it's one piece I've seen through one of my boys.
Factors:
1-being told they can do anything from an early age
2-participation trophies
3-electronic devices
4-government welfare made easy
5-leftist economics
6-feminism
7-PC culture neutering men
“Have children late and then die early”
There is certainly some truth in it and for some, it might be a workable strategy.
On the flip side - We started very early and so did our children. I learned that authority always wins and became a parent rather than a “buddy” it worked for us. We trained them, protected them, enforced behavior and study and those 4 grew to become independent responsible adults with families of their own.
We just witnessed the 17th birth (a 3rd great grand son) and we are both young enough to enjoy them all.
At some point around 40 we realized that there will always be children in our lives. BUT they don’t have to live here.
Just got to wonder who’s going to pay the property taxes in 10 years when the old folks get moved into assisted living which rapidly depletes all retirement savings
You silly goose. What do you think Pell Grants and Student loans are for... /s
What about mechanical and chemical engineers? Don’t you consider these useful degrees?
Awesome!!! Always wanted one of those!
I said many not all and you missed the point. Colleges are pumping out useless indoctrinated pussies.
Having and engineering degree is great but if the person holding that degree is a useless snowflake who needs safe spaces, is offended by everything except their point of view only and can’t handle life then it’s a useless degree.
Thank you!
Also aren’t marrying because they can get laid from a ‘liberated’ woman after a week on Tinder and for $30 worth of dinner/candy/etc. instead of spending a year courting and having to pass parental approval.
Combine that with a insane family court/divorce system and you literally have made it not just economically nonsense but a gamble on financial suicide. Hence, less weddings!
Lol, yeah. Lot of truth in that.
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