Some research identified during a recent PEST (Political Economic Sociological and Technological) analysis suggested that the traditional family life cycle model has broken down:
Graduates are blue – Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that 21,000 graduates who finished first degrees last year were still out of work six months after leaving university. One in three could only find work in bars, shops and other non-graduate fields. Now 34.5% of graduates are in non-graduate jobs (up from 33.1% in 2007) and average starting salaries increased by just £500 pa to £20,500. Media studies and, surprisingly, computer science had some of the highest jobless rates.
Greys are in the pink – A survey of 2,100 adults called “Age Old Stereotypes” by Standard Life showed that over 55s were free from financial responsibility and having the time of their lives travelling the world and arranging evenings of socialising. This supports the research I completed during 2008 on the emerging “silver” market (please let me know if you’d like a copy). The under 25s are the generation most likely to be lonely and stressed by money worries. Those between the ages of 26 and 35 were often choosing to travel abroad and socialise and postpone children or starting a business til they are between 36 and 55.
Workfree families – The office for National Statistics shows that nearly a quarter of children in London live in households where no one is working. The British average is 15% but is 23% in London and 18% in the North East, North West, West Midlands and Wales.
