The boomerang generation - CPC research in Times article

CPC researcher, Dr Juliet Stone, has been quoted in a Times article about people in their twenties and thirties returning to live with their parents.

The article considers the story of a 37-year-old man who is back living with his parents, and his reasons for finding himself in such a situation.

As Dr Stone points out in the article, adults living with their parents is a relatively new trend in Britain, but she is unsure if it heralds a permanent demographic shift. "It's being bolstered by the recession, but once that lifts, we don't know if people will live more independently or if it's something that will carry on. In other countries, it's very normal to stay at home until you're married, whereas here it's a new thing."

"It's clear financial reasons are underlying a lot people's decisions to move home... If people lost their jobs they were more likely to move home. Relationship breakdowns are another big driver - perhaps the emotional support is as important as the economic."

The findings of the research broadly divides boomerangers into two groups - "the people who choose to move home quite actively and those for whom it's more of a chaotic pathway back. They haven't actively chosen it - it's just the best option available."

To find out more about CPC research in this area, see our section on 'The living arrangements of young adults in the UK'.

The full article is available on the Times website: The Boomerang Generation

Posted 14/05/2014 11:08