Is It The Job Market Or Mom's Scones? 85% Of Grads Move Back Home

Home can be so comforting

Spring means that flowers bloom, little forest animals have sex, and colleges slap the Bud Lights out of our nation's 22 year olds' hands and tell them to get a job. Each year we're bombarded with coverage on how terrible it is to be young, educated and full of endless vitality. Last year, the American Dream for this demographic was declared dead. This year, they're dancing on its grave from their parents' couch: 85% of grads are expected to move back into their childhood homes, the Post reports.

We hear from a Vanderbilt grad from Atlanta who has spent a year "barely making ends meet with his own college services company," which presumably conducts market research then tells graduates to move back in with their parents (or sue!). A Columbia grad seethes at the way his alma mater fed him "this mentality that you will be successful—things will work out," but is forced to confront how cruel Life really is: "Now I'm entering a great unknown, which is frustrating and unsettling." He then set down his bowl of Kashi, pulled out a harmonica and launched into a rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Dust My Broom."

But we can't lay all of the blame on the kids. After all, the parents are the ones who enable this sort of behavior (and add half-and-half to the scrambled egg mix so they're nice and fluffy). Rick Raymond, VP of marketing for College Parents of America, an organization we didn't know existed, said "It's brutal for the average undergraduate…graduates are not the first to be hired when the job markets begin to improve." True, but at least they have an education that was worth every cent.

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By Christopher Robbins in News on May 9, 2011 10:49 AM

Comments [rss]

unretrofiedforu

Welcome to America in the 21st century. Pax Americana is over. America is clearly trying to hold on to whatever shreds of global leadership and prestige it once had. We now live in a global world and I'm afraid it's not just our workforce that is obsolete; but our entire way of life.

The 'two Americas' is real and happening - now. Unemployment will not go down. The +5% (+ xx% of the people who are off benefits and those who are underemployed) is the natural remainder of a system that has now left them. This level WILL be the norm and is currently being sold by mass media, current business leaders and polarizing political elements to be 'acceptable'.

Privatizing entitlements? Destroying the last remnants of the proletariat/worker's movements by moving to remove bargaining rights? Preventing consumer market and healthcare reforms? Keeping the people and businesses running on plant/dinosaur carcass juice? Resisting any change to the illusion of 'building wealth'? All the system shedding the last ties to the 2nd America, while it shapes itself (supply-side) for the 1st.

There are those that tell you good times are coming. Yes - for them. For the fragmented pieces that still have not been digitized and automated.

They will disguise this with pseudo-intellectual justifications of 'social-darwinism' and 'personal responsibility', but those hundreds on each state's unemployment line? They see right though, however they are all too defeated and too depressed to fight and process the lies and will simply lie over, agree that it is the 'overspending state' or illegal immigrants, or a black president that is to blame. 2nd America will cling to it's belief that they're only temporarily embarrassed millionaires until there are only real millionaires left.

Joel Ceballos

Well said.

ANGRYGOD11

The scary part is this could be the new permanent state of the economy. We no longer have the high paying industry jobs that created the middle class. Its nonsensical to believe all that will be replaced by new service industries now capable of hiring the best talent from around the world for less money.

For years we ignored what was going on as debt, construction jobs, housing financing and other irrational events disguised how bad things were.

Drew P.

Yet when someone puts in that extra hustle and takes on food delivery shifts on the side of a regular job everyone calls him a trust fund hipster transplant...

69GeorgeWBush69

People who move back home are either wimps or people who don't value their independence. If you can't find a cushy job right away, go work at a grocery store so you can pay rent until something better comes along. Living at home in you mid-20's is kind of pathetic.

unretrofiedforu

Ha, I knew it was only a matter of posts before the obligatory - "I stave myself so I can say I'm on my own" post.

They say were not in a rush because we're being cautious. That's usually the sign of an intelligent group.

69GeorgeWBush69

It takes hard work to cut out a life for yourself, not that working 50 hours a week is very difficult, nor is it that rare in NYC. It's a very small price to pay for independence and not spending my mid-20's having my mom wipe my ass.

Joel Ceballos

I don't know if that is the case, if the person is working and contributing to the household I doubt I would call that person being 'wiped by mom.' In many parts of the world including Latin America and Asia sons and daughters don't leave until they are married, after they graduate from college they are expected to have a job but not necesesarily to leave the home. Usually families are tight nit and is amicable with everyone contributing etc.

69GeorgeWBush69

I do see that a lot in my neighborhood, but I wonder: what happens if you want to bring a girl home? what happens if you want to stay out past midnight? play loud music on the weekends? What about the immense personal growth you receive by eking it out on your own and having to take care of yourself?

I mean I understand how moving home could make sense fiscally, but, personally, I think the few years you have after college and before you settle down should be used to go explore and test the waters on your own. If you crash and burn, sure, go move back home with the folks, but besides that, people of that age should be doing their own thing and living life without the umbilical cord attached.

Joel Ceballos

I agree but I can tell that that in terms of living life, you will see that a lot in Latin America for example, people live fully and are far more sociable then even people in America going out after work almost every night. When it comes to Lovers usually it is expected for people to respect the household and sex is not done there but rather they do it in another non-residential places (they called them Cabanas) etc. But I can tell you that many people live life fully without having to leave home in their 20's because they do it outside.

Joel Ceballos

I think this is more cultural though, the U.S. is very much about the indvidual and other cultures are more group-oriented.

Joel Ceballos

What I am trying to say is that in Latin American and Asian cultures they socialized and have fun outside the house, I know many Japanese in Japan who only go to their apartments at night for rest and spend pretty much the entire day outside working/school or socializing.

randomtransplant

Grocery stores don't pay the rent, let alone student loans. I've worked at a grocery store back in high school, & paid my rent since graduation years ago now. I cannot imagine how today's grad's do it.

Stevennnn

Grocery stores are good for extra money in high school and college and when living with your parents. It's most definitely not enough to support yourself - under $10 an hour, if that.

69GeorgeWBush69

Out of college I was working 2 shitty jobs, 50 hours/wk, making close to minimum wage and could still pay $700/mo for rent. I also had no problem paying student loan bills nor paying for food and utilities. It sucked, and it took a lot of my time, but I really wanted to live in the big city and not move back in with mom.

unretrofiedforu

Here's an idea. It's called a calendar. In it you will find the current month and year because what you are describing is not of this time.

jamieob256

Rents are no longer $700. At a minimum, they are double that. Added to that are college costs that have soared. Making a comparison between how things were in your day to how they are today, is like comparing apples and oranges.

http://www.truth-out.org/how-m...

69GeorgeWBush69

I graduated less than 5 years ago and I'm still paying $700 for half an apartment.

Joel Ceballos

Agreed, and most recent graduates that I know if they move back home and they move back out they have to share an apartment with other roommates just to stay afloat. Any other recent graduate have to break their back just to have a roommate free apartment.