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Source: NonProfitCollegesOnline.com

Are Millennials a lost generation? The generation with the highest joblessness and debt out of school remains optimistic, though the punches keep on coming. Millennials = those coming of age since the millenium. 16-34 year olds.

At 14%[2] of the population, you can't miss 'em.

Including the 15,875,590[2][1](number below x .37) Millennials who are unemployed or out of the workforce.

That's 37% of the 42,907,000[2] total millenials (18+)



So what are Millennials?

Millennials are educated more than any other generation. "Finished some college" from 18-28

Millenials: 54%



Gen X: 49%



Baby Boomers: 36%



Silent Generation: 24%

They have more tattoos[1] four in ten have a tattoo

As opposed to 3/10 Gen X'ers, 1.5/10 Boomers, and 6% of Silent Gen'ers

two in ten have 2-5

and seven out of a hundred have 6 or more

Sidenote:Millennials with tattoes are significantly more likely to have voted for Obama (about 10% more dems have tattoes than GOPs, and about 10% more liberals than conservatives)[1].



Are more tech savvy With twice as many Millennials self-identifying their generation with "technology use"(24%) than Generation X'ers.[1]

While generations before X don't self-identify at all with technology use. They hold flexibility of when and where to do something at a premium. And excel with e-learning opportunities.

They are more entrepreneurial With 59% of Millennials wanting to or already starting a business



And 1/3 of the entrepreneurs in the U.S. aged 20-34[8]

Are more tolerant With Millenials thought to be more tolerant by every other generation by a rate of 2 to 1 With 33% thinking gay parents raising a child is wrong, compared to 48% boomer and 55% silent. And 22% believing living together w/o marriage is a bad thing. Compared to 44% boomer and 48% silent.

And are more optimistic about the future Only 31% of Millennials believe they make enough now.

But a full 88% believe they will earn enough in the future.(as compared to 76% Gen X'er, and 46% boomers)

Too bad they started school right as tuition rates exploded.

What cost $3,101 in 1980 costs $18,947 today.[average for all institutions in dollars of time][6] Avg. Prices by year in 2010 dollars[3]

4 year colleges



1980:$8,756





1990:$12,303





2000:$15,996





2010:$21,657

With living costs averaging (public)$9,200, (private)$10,460 per year[4]

2 year colleges

1980: $5,580



1990: $6,361



2000:$6,766



2010:$8,734 Leading student debt to quadruple to $1 trillion, IN TEN YEARS.[5]

(a trillion dollars is enough to pay the tuition of 11.4 million students through four year colleges...and it did.)

Avg. Debt from school

2000: $23,335



2004: $22,690



2008: $24,614



2011: $27, 547 As compared to the 90's 1993: $15,073

1996: $18,855 [all in 2012 dollars] While 52% have a $37,100 debt coming out of school.[7]

And the recession hit

Leaving Millennials to weather the challenges of "last one in, first one out."

And giving the first Millennials 8 years to work their way up before the recession, and the latest an economy ravaged by 5 years of recession.

And then their debt increased

How it works:

$23,000 is the maximum one can borrow in federal loans.

Average debt from school is $27k

So almost everyone has some federal loans

Federal student loan interest rates doubled to 6.8%

Leaving all loan takers with 6.8% interest on federal loans, and rates as high as 8% on private loans.

Millenials, Gen Y, Gen next, Echo Boomers, Baby-on-board Generation, Screenagers, Facebookers, or Myspace Generation, call them what you want.

Because when you see one, you'll know it. Millennials are a breed apart.

Top 5 self-definined characteristics by generation Millenials:(24% technology use)(11% music/pop culture)(7%liberal/tolerant)(6% smarter)(5% clothes)

Gen X: (12% technology use)(11% work ethic)(7% conservative/traditional)(6% smarter)(5% respectful)

Boomer: (17% Work ethic)(14% respectful)(8%Values/morals)(6%"baby boomers")(5% smarter)

Silent: (14% WWII, depression)(13% smarter)(12% honest)(10% work ethic)(10% Values/morals)

citations

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change/ http://www.census.gov/population/age/data/2011comp.html http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/student-loan-debt-charts http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/24/pf/college/public-college-tuition/index.html http://www.cnbc.com/id/100857802 http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/04/23/millennials-stock-market-averse/1970937/ http://businessonmain.msn.com/browseresources/articles/smallbusinesstrends.aspx?cp-documentid=254509415#fbid=aJe2ttb1m8s



