WHY 30 YEAR OLD KIDS STILL LIVE AT HOME 2

Grossman, Lev (2005) Grow up? TIME, 1/24 p.42-53

REVISED 2009

They are called “twixters” or “thresholders” After high school or after college; they are living back in their old bedroom. They are working minimum wage and living off mom and dad.

In another era, the high schooler went right to the factory, got married, and started adulthood life. The college degree type was trained at a company to do something and did it. They got married and they both had jobs, plus 1.8 kids.

That’s over. Its afta NAFTA and numerous good jobs have gone to China and Mexico and in return more minimum wage jobs have been generated. Additionally, there is a Peter Pan syndrome. Why grow up? Marriages don’t last too long and kids that one has come to dislike you?

Thus, you have twixters. So what might happen in the future as the middle class which has only improved by 15% since 1983? It is called “doubling up.” It is a demographic terms and it means that the kids really don’t ever leave. The rich are getting richer and the bottom 80% has plateau or lost wages in real dollars. Doubling up also means that the population per household diminishes. Most in the home get the message, not to marry if you aren’t going to leave or marry and have one child.

Minimum wage jobs usually don’t have a pension, or hospitalization, so whoever in the household can get medical coverage, you try to get everyone else on that plan.

Like community college, 4 year schools could start offering degrees that provide certain skills so that the individual can get a job after graduation. Paying off college is another problem.

Times do change. This is one of them.