Every few months an article comes out suggesting that the current generation of twentysomething Americans lack a competitive edge, feel entitled and are narcissistic. It is widely agreed that they are an unlucky generation in terms of their current economic situation and prospects. But what if in spite of this public perception and bad luck, or perhaps even because of it, the Millennials were actually the most generous, educated and civic minded generation since the Greatest Generation?
Source: http://onlinempadegrees.com/the-myth-of-the-millennial-generation/
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1. MillennialImpact onNonprofit Organizations18
TheMyth
of the
MILLENNIAL
Often described as lazy and entitled by older generations, it turns out that millennials
are just misunderstood. Armed with a record number of college degrees, these 18- to
31-year-olds are engaged in good causes with volunteerism statistics rivaling that of the
Greatest Generation. Civic engagement and nonprofit participation characterize this
generation, despite recent challenging economic conditions.
MILLENNIAL STEREOTYPE
Millennialsareoftenperceivedaslessmotivatedandproductive
thanpreviousgenerations,becausetheyaretakinglongertoget
married,gainfull-timeemployment,andmoveawayfromhome.
Millennialgeneration
1982 1995
Stats onMillennials2
86million
ThenumberofmillennialsintheUSin20133
Youngpeopleages18-31,bornbetween1982and19951
Moremillennialsthanbaby-boomers3
7%
ThePublic’sPerception ofMillennials4
AccordingtoaPewResearchsurvey,thepublicthinks:
Thereis“amajordifference
inthepointofviewof
youngerpeopleandolder
peopletoday”
Youngergenerationsand
oldergenerationsare“very
different”inthewaythey
handletechnology
OlderAmericansare
superiorintermsoftheir
moralvalues,respectfor
others,andworkethic
Unemployed or Underemployed
OfallmillennialsareunemployedintheUS5
Ofmillennialshaveajob—halfofwhichare
part-timejobs2
Living at Home1
In2007,18.5millionmillennialslivedwiththeirparents.Sincethenthatnumberhas
risento21.6million,with36%ofall18-to31-year-oldslivingathome.
“This is the highest share in at least four decades.”
—PewResearchCenter
REALITY BITES
Ofyoungermillennials(ages18–24)
livewiththeirparents
Ofoldermillennials(ages25–31)
livewiththeirparents
Therecessionhastakenatollonmillennials,drivinghigherunemploymentratesandraising
studentloandebt.Althoughmorestudentsareenrolledincollegenowthanbeforethe
recession,abachelor’sdegreecostsmoreanddeliversfewerresultsthanitusedto.
Ofmillennialshadjobsin 20071
Ofmillennialshadjobsin20121
8million
Numberofjobs lost in
2008and20096
4.7million
Numberofjobs created
from2010to20126
250Averagenumberofrésumés
receivedforeachcorporate
jobopening
o 4–6willgetaninterview
o 1–3willbeinvitedfora
finalinterview
o 1willbeofferedthejob7
Increasing College Enrollment
Employment Decline OverTime8
Theemployment rate ofyoung
adultsenrolled inschool
2007: 2011:
Theemployment rateofyoung
adultsnot enrolledinschool
2007: 2011:
AccordingtoarecentAdeccosurvey:9
58% OfhiringmanagerssaytheyhaveNO
planstoahirearecentcollegegraduate
59%
Ofmillennialshavegone
tocollege2
35%
Of18-to24-year-oldswere
enrolled in collegeinMarch
20072
39%
Of18-to24-year-oldswere
enrolled in collegeinMarch
20122
Impact of the Great Recession on Employment
Student Loans11
$9,350
Averagestudentloandebtin1993
($15,081intoday’sdollars)
Less than
50%Ofstudentsgraduatedwithloan
debtin1993
$26,600Theaveragestudentloandebtofmillennials
whograduatedfromcollegein 2013
66%Ofmillennialsgraduatefrom
collegewithoutstandingdebt
Theamountofstudentdebthasriseninthelastdecade,andthe
numberofstudentsgraduatingwithdebthasincreased.
More than
50%Ofmillennialsfinancedtheireducation
throughstudent loans
$100
billion
Amountofstudentborrowingin2010
$1
trillion
Totalamountofoutstandingstudent
loansin2011
$798
billion
TotalU.S.creditcarddebtin 2011
538% Increase in collegetuitioncostacross
thecountryoverthelast28 years12
33%
Ofmillennialssaytheywouldhavebeenbetteroff
working instead of going to college and
paying tuition13
EconomicImpact
AccordingtoEPI’sTheStateofWorkingAmerica,generalwage
stagnationthatbeganin2000ledto:14
High School-Educated Men
Entry-levelhourlywages
(between2011and1979)=
High School-Educated Women
Entry-levelhourlywages
(between2011and1979)=
-25.3% or -$4.00/hr -14.2% or -$1.64/hr
AccordingtoaPewResearchStudy,18-to34-year-oldssay:8
79% 73% 66%
47.6% 40.7% 73.2% 65%
49% 24%
35% 31%
Theyhavetakenajobtheydidn’t
wantjusttopaythebills
Theyhavetakenanunpaidjobtogain
workexperience
Asaresultofthepooreconomy,they
havegonebacktoschool
Theyhavepostponedeithergetting
marriedorhavingababy
80% 67%
Ofparentswithyoungchildrenin
1993 saidchildrenshouldbe
financially independentfrom
theirparentsbytheageof228
Ofparentswithyoungchildren
in2012 saidchildrenshouldbe
financially independent from
theirparentsbytheageof228
CIVIC MINDED DESPITE THE ODDS
Inspiteofrecenteconomicwoes,millennialsarepassionateaboutchangingtheworld.
Theyshowheightenedlevelsofcivicengagementandvolunteerism.
“Surveys show people born between 1982 and 2000 are the
most civic-minded since the generation of the 1930s and 1940s.”
—USATODAY.com15
AccordingtotheCorporationforNationalandCommunityService:16
Increaseinvolunteerratesforages16–24
between1989and2005
Motivations19
79%
Passion
56%
Meetpeople
46%
Expertise
IncreasedVolunteerism
Between2007and2008:16
From2007to2008therewasanincreaseof1.3 millionmillennialswhovolunteeredin
nonprofitorganizationswithoutcompensation.
1
billion
Totalhoursofvolunteerservicebymillennials
between2007and2008
Ofmillennialsvolunteertime
tomentorotheryoungpeople
ortutorothersforfree
Increaseinvolunteerismamong
youngpeopleattendingcollege
Ofyouthfulvolunteeractivityis
donethroughreligiousoredu-
cationalnonprofitinstitutions
$22
billion
Approximateworthofthevolunteerworkcontributed
bymillennials(basedonestimatedmonetaryvalueofa
volunteerhour=$20.25)
70%
Ofcollegefreshmenbelievethatitis“essentialor
veryimportanttohelppeopleinneed”—thehighest
levelsince1970
40%
Increaseintheinterestin“keepinguptodateon
politicalaffairs”amongcollegestudents
TheMost Important Things to aMillennial17
52%
30%
21%
20%
15%
15%
9%
1%
Being a good parent
Havingasuccessfulmarriage
Helping others in need
Owningahome
Livingaveryreligiouslife
Having a high-paying career
Havinglotsoffreetime
Becoming famous
IncreasedParticipation inVolunteer Organizations16
IncreaseinTeach for America
applicantsbetween2007
and2010
3
times
IncreaseinCity Year
applicantsbetween2009
and2010
IncreaseinPeace Corps
applicantsbetween2009
and2010
27 3 to 1 18–24
AverageageofPeace Corps
volunteers
RatioofAmeriCorps
applicantstoopenings
in2010
AgerangeofAmeriCorps
volunteers
46%
72%
Ofmillennialsdonatedtononprofitcauses
Ofmillennialsare
interestedin
participatingina
nonprofityoung
professionalgroup
2012 GivingHistory19
83% Ofmillennialssurveyedmadeafinancialgift
toanorganization
READY TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Bybreakingdownawiderangeofstatistics,wecanseeamoreaccurate,nuancedviewof
thisoftenmisunderstoodgeneration.Millennialsaremakingthebestofachallengingtime,
strivingtoovercomeeconomicsetbacksandmaketheworldabetterplace.Millennials’
beliefs,values,andgoalsaregearedtowardcreatingsocialimpactandhelpingothers.Not
onlydotheyaspiretoachievetheseselflessacts,theygooutandmakethemhappen.
SOURCES
1
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/01/a-rising-share-of-young-adults-live-in-their-parents-home/
2
http://washingtonexaminer.com/harvard-just-6-in-10-millennials-have-jobs-half-are-part-time/article/2520719
3
http://online.barrons.com/article/
SB50001424052748703889404578440972842742076.html#articleTabs_article%3D1
4
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/08/12/forty-years-after-woodstockbra-gentler-generation-gap/2/
5
http://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
6
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57562002/december-jobs-1.8-million-jobs-created-in-2012/
7
http://www.ere.net/2013/05/20/why-you-cant-get-a-job-recruiting-explained-by-the-numbers/
8
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/02/09/young-underemployed-and-optimistic/
9
http://www.adeccousa.com/articles/Way-to-Work-Survey.html?id=211&url=/
pressroom/pressreleases/pages/forms/allitems.aspx&templateurl=/AboutUs/pressroom/Pages/Press-release.aspx
10
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
11
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/
2013/06/30/student-loan-debt-economic-effects/2388189/
12
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-26/college-costs-surge-500-in-u-s-since-1985-chart-of-the-day.html
13
http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2013/05/22/
student-loan-problems-one-third-of-millennials-regret-going-to-college/
14
http://www.epi.org/publication/ib327-young-workers-wages/
15
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/sharing/2009-04-13-millenial_N.htm
16
http://ndn.org/blog/2009/08/millennials-lead-nation-service-our-country
17
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change/
18
http://cdn.trustedpartner.com/docs/library/AchieveMCON2013/
Research%20Report/Millennial%20Impact%20Research.pdf
23%
10% 42%
16%37%
66%
Createdby
16% 60%
16%56%
63%70%