Twentysomething, College-Educated And Moving Back In; More Parents Are Laying Down The Welcome Mat for Their Grads
When Melissa Jenkins received her college diploma last year, she was ready to get on with life -- and move in with her parents.</br></br>The 23-year-old from North Reading, Mass., was saddled with student loans from her years at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and felt she had no solid career prospects.</br></br>"It didn't make sense for me to move out on my own," she said. "I didn't have the appropriate funds. I was searching for a career path."</br></br>Nearly half of students graduating this spring are expected to move back home, said Susan Shaffer, co-author of "Mom, Can I Move Back in With You? A Survival Guide for Parents of Twentysomethings." Their number has remained pretty consistent since the dot-com bust, a result of financial and social pressures unknown to previous generations, she said.</br></br>The economy isn't entirely to blame: This year's job outlook is better than last's, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, with companies planning to hire 8 percent more recent graduates this year.