The 18th birthday used to commemorate a separation from our families and an expectation of self-sufficiency. As more people began to attend college, that became a similar marker of adulthood.
Now, when we graduate from college, I think most of us (and our parents!) hope that we'll be able to get a decent-paying job that will at least allow us to have some kind of housing, get started on those student loans and maybe--maybe--finally let Dad off the hook with the cell phone bill. (Yeah...I'm still workin' on that one...) But does that really happen?
More and more often, the answer is a resounding no. And the economy sure doesn't make it any more likely--or even remotely possible for recent college grads struggling to find jobs in their fields in this crappy job market.
Basically, we're worse off than we were a decade ago, according to a recent study on young workers (18-34) commissioned by a federation of labor unions.
Check out the highlights:
- 1 in 3 young workers lives with his or her parents
- 1 in 3 is uninsured
- 1 in 4 earn less than their monthly bills; only 1 in 3 earn enough to pay pills and save some
- 1 in 2 doesn't have a retirement plan
Just over half of respondents are hopeful about their economic future--compared to three-quarters ten years ago.
What do you think? Are you hopeful, nervous or both? Are things as bad as this makes them sound? How are your friends doing in these crappy times?
Photo: Lara604
3 comments:
Generational question -- is a comparison to the high-flying 1990s as relevant as a comparison to a generation ago?
Look back a generation. Women and minorities were routinely limited as far as career and educational opportunities. Men faced being drafted into the Army when they completed college. Retirement plans didn't even exist, and few had health plans of any sort.
I'm not saying things aren't bad now. I'm saying that people are always struggling to deal with the hand they've been dealt. Don't you think?
I'm hopeful and nervous. Hopeful because I'm finally at a place in my career where I can START it, nervous because...I don't know where to start. Being in the field of dietetics, I can't say it's hard to find a job though. I've started my job search and there still seems to be some jobs out there. My one friend in particular graduated last May and still hasn't found a job because he can't seem to find anything out there (he's in an architect). I guess it depends how high in demand the job is?
Ken - Amen. I think we'll always look around and realize we haven't come as far as we'd like in some area or another (even if things have gotten better somewhere else).
Monica - You're lucky to be in the health care field! It's certainly not recession-proof, but it seems like those jobs are hanging on much more than in some sectors. I totally agree that it depends on the kind of job you're looking for. Like financial stuff, I'd guess, is probably not a super-fun place to be at the moment. :)
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