Epidemic percentage of adolescents not leaving the nest – and how to make sure yours does
A deeply researched, recently published online article (www.zerohedge.com) amplifies an already piercingly loud alarm going off, warning parents of a frightening reality that may shake your home: your high school or college graduate ending up back on your couch.
While a quarter of 25-year-olds live with their parents back in 1999, by 2013 half of young adults live in their parent’s home.
As economists in this article point out, earning a college degree can help with labor market outcomes, as young adults “with a college degree are more likely to live independently”. However, additional research has shown that the “underemployment” rate for recent graduates was about 40 percent during the “Great Recession”.
The economists Maria Canon and Charles Gascon note that significant student debt, weak job prospects, and an uncertain housing market has a good chance of making your adolescent yet another costly statistic and heart wrenching reality for your family. The ultimate significance of this article forces parents to recognize that they need to take a much more active role in helping their adolescent – early in their adolescence – begin discovering a successful vocational or career path. Proactive parents will seek out professionals who can thoughtfully – and long before college or trade school – facilitate a career finding process (e.g., http://greatpeoplescience.com/find-a-stable-productive-and-filling-career/) while avoiding wasteful trial-and-error methods leading your adolescent to wander around in an aimless career fog.