Moving home
ANNMARIE ELY
Issue date: 5/6/10 Section: Features
Theo Harkness put on his
graduation gown, listened to
the inspirational speaker and
walked toward the podium to
receive his degree at East
Stroudsburg's graduation ceremony
in May of 2009. Today,
at 24, with a bachelor's degree
in health, after an eight-hour
work day he walks into his
mom and dad's three-bedroom
house, up to his childhood bedroom,
where he still lives.
According to a 2009 population
by the Pew Research
Center, 10 percent of adults
between the ages of 18 and 34
moved back in with their parents
due to the recession.
According to a population
survey, taken by the Census in
2009, over 15 million 18 to 24-
year-olds live at home.
Out of the 25 to 34-year-old
crowd, more than 51 million
are living at home. That's 15.6
percent of males and 9.9 percent
of females.
The number has jumped
since 2006 by an additional
338,000 males and 257,000
females.
These people are highly educated,
capable young adults
who for various reasons - the
sluggish economy, a lackluster
job market, student loan debt -
have not been able to achieve
independence.
Max Probst, who teaches
sociology at Bucks, says one
factor is the fact that college
grads are getting married later.
Probst says on average,
women are waiting until 25
and men are waiting until
about 27 to get married. With
one income affording rent is
twice as difficult.
"They want to start their
careers before they get married,"
said Probst. "They want
to go to school and get that
degree."
The job market is another
factor. As bachelor's degrees
become more common they go
down in value.
"The market is not open to
all of those jobs," said Probst
who has college-educated
friends who are working in
warehouses.
Probst thinks there needs to
be more jobs that students can
qualify for right out of high
school.
"We have outsourcing, setting
graduation gown, listened to
the inspirational speaker and
walked toward the podium to
receive his degree at East
Stroudsburg's graduation ceremony
in May of 2009. Today,
at 24, with a bachelor's degree
in health, after an eight-hour
work day he walks into his
mom and dad's three-bedroom
house, up to his childhood bedroom,
where he still lives.
According to a 2009 population
by the Pew Research
Center, 10 percent of adults
between the ages of 18 and 34
moved back in with their parents
due to the recession.
According to a population
survey, taken by the Census in
2009, over 15 million 18 to 24-
year-olds live at home.
Out of the 25 to 34-year-old
crowd, more than 51 million
are living at home. That's 15.6
percent of males and 9.9 percent
of females.
The number has jumped
since 2006 by an additional
338,000 males and 257,000
females.
These people are highly educated,
capable young adults
who for various reasons - the
sluggish economy, a lackluster
job market, student loan debt -
have not been able to achieve
independence.
Max Probst, who teaches
sociology at Bucks, says one
factor is the fact that college
grads are getting married later.
Probst says on average,
women are waiting until 25
and men are waiting until
about 27 to get married. With
one income affording rent is
twice as difficult.
"They want to start their
careers before they get married,"
said Probst. "They want
to go to school and get that
degree."
The job market is another
factor. As bachelor's degrees
become more common they go
down in value.
"The market is not open to
all of those jobs," said Probst
who has college-educated
friends who are working in
warehouses.
Probst thinks there needs to
be more jobs that students can
qualify for right out of high
school.
"We have outsourcing, setting