The changing living arrangements of young adults in the UK

More young adults in the UK are living with their parents or are living outside a family compared with 10 years ago, investigators have found. Changes in education and work appear to play a key role in these trends, says the research team.

Research from the ESRC Centre for Population Change examined how the living arrangements of young adults in the UK have changed over the past decade and how these changes are shaped by forces such as increased immigration of foreign-born young adults, the expansion in higher education and increased economic insecurity. Using data from the UK Labour Force Survey, the researchers showed that shared non-family living has become particularly prominent among young people aged 22-34 who have experience of higher education, while labour market uncertainty - including unemployment as well as temporary or part-time jobs - is associated with an extended period of co-residence with parents. Conversely, young adults have become less likely to be living with a partner and/or children. The influx of young migrants over the past decade, particularly from the 'A8' countries in Europe, has also had an important effect in driving up the trend for 'non-family living'.

The full paper has been published in 'Demographic Research' and can be downloaded here.

Posted 27/09/2011 10:12