Who's That Guy on the Local News?

It might just fuel the 'next boom': Daniel Gross

(NEWSER) - Homeownership is down and renting is up, and that surely means bad news for the economy and people's finances, right? Wrong, argues Daniel Gross in the Wall Street Journal . In fact, it's a beautiful thing. "The new realities of our increasingly mobile economy make it more likely that this transition from an Ownership Society to what might be called a Rentership Society, far from being a drag, will unleash a wave of economic efficiency that could fuel the next boom." More»

'Boomerang kids' have trouble finding well-paying work

(NEWSER) - As many as three out of 10 young adults are moving back in with their parents—resulting in the highest share of 18- to 34-year-olds living with multiple generations since the 1950s—after finding themselves unable to find lucrative employment in this dismal economy. They're dubbed "boomerang kids" because they depart for school or work only to return to the nest, but surprisingly, reports the Christian Science Monitor , 78% say they're happy living at home and 24% say it's positive for their relationship with their parents. More»

They're down over the last decade, in contrast to overall numbers

(NEWSER) - The group getting hit the hardest by plummeting wages caused by high unemployment is the young. The hourly pay for male college graduates ages 23 to 29 fell 11% over the past decade to $21.68 while their female counterparts saw a dip of 7.6% to $18.80, reports the Wall Street Journal . By contrast, the wages for production workers and non-supervisors of all ages ticked up 3% over the same period. More»

Consumer spending is what China needs now: Wen Jiabao

(NEWSER) - China's premier today called on his countrymen to spend big to boost the national economy because international markets aren't up to the job. "Expanding domestic demand, particularly consumer demand, is essential to ensuring China's long-term, robust economic development, and is the focus of our economic work this year," Premier Wen Jiabao told the National People's Congress. To that end, Wen pledged greater support for health care, social security, jobs programs, and public housing to put more money in people's pockets, reports AP . The government will also back more paid vacations and greater consumer credit, he vowed. His address underscores a new government concentration on bolstering consumer spending in China rather than a focus on exports and low-cost labor. More»

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.