The Changing Transition to Adulthood in the U.S.: Trends in Demographic Role Transitions and Age Norms since 2000

Sheela Kennedy, University of Minnesota
Frank Furstenberg, University of Pennsylvania

Our paper examines trends since 2000 in the completion of the traditional demographic markers of the transition to adulthood and in the normative timetable for completing these role transitions. The percent of young adults completing the transition to adulthood declined by 6 percentage points between 2000 and 2010. During the first half of the 2000s, the delayed transition to adulthood is attributable to shifts in the timing of family transitions. Economic transitions drove further delays during the Great Recession. We also examine whether the importance young adults assign to different markers of the transition to adulthood and the normative age schedule for achieving these adult roles has shifted to reflect the delayed transition to adulthood. We will place particular focus on trends and attitudes towards intergenerational living arrangements, a critical safety net for young adults during the recession. Our analysis will consider variation by gender and socioeconomic status (educational attainment).