MILLENNIALS JOSH JACKMAN

ALOT OF people of my age aren’t comfortable making longterm commitments — like meeting a partner and building a relationship — when they don’t have control over where they live.” Pip Moss, a 26-year-old paralegal,wanted the security of being able to plan a future. So, 18 months ago, he moved from London to Manchester. And he is not alone.

A whole generation of 15 to 35-year-olds, commonly known as millennials, is struggling. Unable to buy a place to live and fighting to secure a well-paid, permanent job, some are moving city or even country simply to attain the standard of living that their parents have.

The next steps of getting married and raising a family seem like distant dreams. The outlook is not just difficult for individuals and young couples, it also has serious implications for the Jewish community.

This week, a study by the Resolution Foundation revealed the extent of financial insecurity facing young adults. Twenty-somethings in work are on average being paid £8,000 less than the generation before. They are less likely to receive off-the-job training, one-third less likely to be able to move jobs to gain better pay, and are likely to become the first generation to earn less than the one before. They are also far less likely to own a home because house prices have climbed on average seven per cent a year since 1980, while wages have fallen.

The so-called Rent Generation have earned that title the hard way, paying on average £25,000 more in real terms in rent in their twenties than those born 1966-1980, and £44,000 more than the baby boomers born 1946-1965.

Marriage is a remote prospect for most in their mid-20s, not because this generation is immature or irresponsible, but because they are