Boomerang Kids

The last few months have seen a number of stories on the nonexistent job market for teens and recent college grads. A recent Pew study has quantified the effect of the poor economy which, for many young adults, is meaning a shorter Thanksgiving commute:

"The journey home for Thanksgiving won't be quite so far this year for many adults," said researchers Wendy Wang and Rich Morin, who wrote the report. "Instead of traveling across country or across town, many grown sons or daughters will be coming to dinner from their old bedroom down the hall."

Pew's survey and analysis of government data found that the share of adults 18 to 29 who lived alone declined from 7.9 percent in 2007 to 7.3 percent this year. Drops of that magnitude were also seen during or immediately after the recessions of 1982 and 2001.

Roughly one-third, or 35 percent, of boomerang kids said they had lived independently at some point in their lives but had to move back in with their parents. About half of the grown children worked full- or part-time, while 25 percent were unemployed and 20 percent were full-time students. ...

According to the latest Pew survey and census data:

• About 20 million people ages 18 to 34 live at home with their parents — roughly 30 percent of that age group. That's up from about 18 million, or 27 percent, in 2005.
  
  
• About 12 percent of young adults ages 18 to 34 said they were forced to move in with a roommate because of the poor economy.
  
  
• Fifteen percent of adults 18 to 34 said they had postponed getting married due to the recession. That share increases to 21 percent for adults ages 25 to 34, when many people tend to get married.
  
  
• Fourteen percent of adults 18 to 34 say they delayed having a baby.