Home for the Holidays…and Every Other Day
The journey home won’t be quite as far this year for many young adults. Instead of traveling across country or across town, many grown sons and daughters will be coming to the holiday dinner table from their old bedroom down the hall, which now doubles as their recession-era refuge.
College Enrollment Hits All-Time High, Fueled by Community College Surge
Driven by a recession-era surge in enrollments at community college, the number of Americans ages 18 to 24 attending college hits a new high, while the high school dropout rate falls to a record low.
Recession Turns a Graying Office Grayer
Older adults are staying in the labor force longer, and younger adults are staying out of it longer. Both trends intensified with the recession and are expected to continue after the economy recovers. One reason: Older workers value not just a paycheck, but the psychological and social rewards.
Forty Years After Woodstock, A Gentler Generation Gap
They have different values, beliefs and lifestyles, but young and old today are disagreeing without being disagreeable, a new Pew Research survey finds. They also share a fondness for Woodstock-era rock and roll.
Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality
Getting old isn’t nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good. A new Pew Research social trends survey finds a sizeable gap between expectations and actual experiences.
Not Your Grandfather’s Recession — Literally
Relatively speaking, older Americans’ attitudes and lifestyles have been less affected by the economic slump than have those of younger Americans. Meantime, the “Threshold Generation,” people nearing retirement, have been hardest hit, as they’ve seen their nest eggs shrink the most.
Luxury or Necessity? The Public Makes a U-Turn
From the kitchen to the laundry room to the home entertainment center, Americans are paring down the list of familiar household appliances they say they can’t live without.
McDonald’s and Starbucks: 43% Yin, 35% Yang
In the smackdown between Big Macs and caffe lattes, Americans manage to typecast themselves by just about every demographic and ideological characteristic under the sun.
For Nearly Half of America, Grass Is Greener Somewhere Else
Where would Americans most like to live — and how do they feel about the place they currently call home?
