This is Why the Millennials' Single Lifestyle May be on a Collision Course with Caregiving and Retirement

by Adam Felts

AgeLab Director Joseph Coughlin writes in Forbes about the potential disruptiveness of younger generations' preferences for single living:

"Data suggest that traditional life stages, such as finding a partner and having children, are occurring at older ages than previous generations. US Centers for Disease Control data and Statistics Canada data show that the only cohort of women with an increasing birthrate are women over 40-years old. That is not necessarily a problem, but having children closer to traditional midlife may collide with other family roles such as caring for an aging parent. A 40-year old mother with a newborn, or toddler, is likely to have a parent that is much older, and have more needs, than a first-time mother in her 30s.

Extended singlehood, and delays in having children, are likely to intensify the challenges of balancing career and children with caring for aging parents – making the coming sandwich generation of Millennials feel more like a hard-pressed panini."

Read Dr. Coughlin's thoughts in full via Forbes.

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About the Author

Photo of Adam Felts
Adam Felts

Adam Felts is a researcher and writer at the MIT AgeLab. Currently he is involved in research on the experiences of family caregivers and the future of financial advice. He also manages the AgeLab blog and newsletter. He received his Master's in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Boston University in 2014 and his Master's of Theological Studies from Boston University in 2019.

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