Millennials forced to put lives on hold

[IrishJohn]

Interesting article about the troubles Millenials are facing in the "Great Recession":

Millennials forced to put lives on hold - Washington Times

[BELLA]

"The study found too much emphasis in the U.S. on generalized university educations without enough job-oriented training. Community colleges often provide more practical work-related training than universities and colleges."

[MomOfMany]

The unemployment rate for job seekers ages 19-25 is crazy high.
Iirc, it is 46% in Europe and 26% in the states. And that is job seekers, not just that age bracket, but only those applying who aren't getting the jobs.

My dh and I have been so shocked and worried by how hard it is for our teens to get even a fast food pt job, that we talked to our oldest and decided to red shirt him this year. Instead of graduating him at just turned 18, he will be just turned 19. It isn't at all unusual for kids to graduate at 19 and it will give him another year to get some CLEPs and skills under his belt. For example, he is likely going to take a tech course next year that is only open to juniors OR students age 16/17. The program wasn't available is year and now he won't miss out on it.

Dh and I both worked full time in high school. And jobs were EASY to find, especially for hard eager workers. ANY time we ever needed a bit of extra money in our early twenties (when we only had 3 kids) one or both of us would just go get a job working opposite shifts of each other. We didn't even own two cars. Other than a minor pain and being exhausted, getting a job was not the concern. Now? Wow. It's scary. I really worry about my boys. Yes, because I am mom. But seriously, being a teen or young adult truly was amazingly easier for dh and I than it is for my boys. My in laws are slowly starting to see that too. They keep asking why the boys aren't doing whatever, and we're telling them they can't. The laws are hindering. (curfew, hours restriction, machine limits) The employers don't want young people.

Our main goal is to help them get degrees AND trade skills and have them live at home until they have money saved. Thankfully, we have never had the mindset of "18 and out" so it's not that big a deal to us. As long as they are decent considerate people who contribute to the family good, I don't care if they ever move out. And if they aren't decent considerate people who contribute to the family good, then they might not make it until they are 18!

I think multigenerational housing situations are going to be VERY common. The cost of living separate is becoming flat out unrealistic expectations for both the young adults and the elderly. Which might not be a bad thing. Suppose it depends on how much wine one needs to tolerate their relatives.