Graduates at Home

August 17 2006 - Experience, Inc. has announced the findings of its 2006 Life After College online survey of recent American graduates on the growing 'boomerang kids' trend towards returning to live in the family home, career paths and the overall reality of life after college.

The majority of respondents (58 per cent) returned to live with parents after college, three-quarters did so immediately on graduating and one-third stayed more than 12 months. About half (48 per cent) of those who returned home did so to save money; 37 per cent were unemployed. Returning home was financially advantageous with no contributions paid towards utilities (92 per cent), rent (85 per cent) or groceries (74 per cent). Attitudes to returning to the family home varied: 59 per cent reported feeling 'indifferent or neutral'; 31 per cent 'embarrassed'; and 10 per cent 'proud and happy'.

Job hopping has become customary for today's graduates; the average tenure at a first full-time job is 1.6 years. Three-quarters had changed jobs in the five years following graduation:

• up to one year (36 per cent)
• one-two years (51 per cent)
• three-five years (77 per cent)

Only 23 per cent had remained with the same employer since graduating. 75 per cent chose to stay within their home state when changing jobs.

Respondents cited various reasons for changing jobs:

• salary increase (18 per cent)
• unhappy with existing employer (17 per cent)
• to try a new profession, department or company (13 per cent)
• move home (9 per cent)
• promotion (3 per cent)

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