Census report shows high number of young adults moving back in with parents
An increasing number of young adults are moving back in with their parents to save money in the tough economy.
‘Saving money and living with your parents for a couple years after college seems responsible,’ said Emily Moloney, a junior advertising major, in an email.
The 2011 Census Bureau report revealed the number of men between ages 25 and 34 living with parents increased from 14 percent to 19 percent during the last six years. The number of women in this category increased from 8 percent to 10 percent during the same time period.
Chuck Reutlinger, associate director of Career Services at Syracuse University, said he believed that the job marketplace and graduates’ lack of job-hunting knowledge are responsible for the increasing numbers of young adults moving back home.
The trend was not surprising to Eddie McLaughlin, a doctoral candidate in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, who also noted the increase in student loans from year to year as a cause.
‘I would hope that I wouldn’t have to go back home or move in with my parents, but if I didn’t have a job or if I didn’t have income to start paying off loans, I don’t see how I could live anywhere else,’ he said.
Although the majority of students working with Career Services desire to be financially independent, Reutlinger said that there are benefits to living at home. These benefits include financial support while taking on job search expenses, like interview suits or transportation costs, and networking resources in siblings, parents and extended family.
Moloney, whose desire to remain in Central New York following graduation will prevent her from moving back in with her parents, also said she saw the practical benefits to living at home.
‘Saving money for my own apartment would be much easier living rent-free, with my food and other things paid for,’ she said. ‘Not to mention, living with parents is a nice, stable environment for post-grad life, which can be stressful if applying for or starting a job.’
Lisa Tedeschi, marriage and family therapist and internship placement coordinator in the marriage and family therapy department at SU, said young adults living at home could be a positive arrangement.
‘If it’s a situation that arrests a young person’s development or creates a high level of conflict, then that’s not positive,’ she said. ‘If it’s a situation that bridges one step to the next, then that can be a good thing and the stress can be managed for the time.’
The trend is reflected in the increasing numbers of alumni contacting Career Services during the past few years, Reutlinger said.
‘Since the economy tanked with the financial crisis and even a little before that, we’ve seen a distinct increase in alumni coming back and looking for assistance,’ he said.
Career Services offers the same resources and assistance to alumni as it does current students. Reutlinger said the majority of alumni that contact Career Services are in their 20s, although graduates in their 30s, 40s and even 50s contact the office.
In light of the job market, Career Services has taken proactive steps with current students, Reutlinger said.
‘We’re reaching out to students earlier and earlier,’ he said, ‘so that when they graduate they might not have the same experience.’
Published on November 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm
