Some plan novels, hiding away in their rooms. Others tutor teenagers, in need ofhelp with their maths homework. The life of a twenty-something living at home is notalways glamorous. A difficult job market since the financial crisis has stalled youthfulefforts to move on up the pay-scale and, crucially, to move on out of the parental domain.
    Analysis released by Britain's Office for National Statistics suggests that more than26% of people aged between 20 and 34 live with their parents.3.3m young Brits of the"millennial generation ( 千禧一代 ) ,, are currently enjoying the delights of home-cookedfood and tidy bedrooms--669,000 more than in 1996. Circumstances are perhaps worseacross the pond: 36% Americans of a similar age group, those aged 18-31, also dwell withmom and pop (but this estimate, it should be noted, includes students).
    Times are tough for millennials: many earn less than their peers did before thefinancial crisis, while those paying rent are also paying more. Cassandra delights in LenaDunham's series "Girls", which, while funny, has drawn interesting attention to the plightof youngsters trying to make it in big cities such as New York.
    2014 may be a welcome year of change, at least for those with a degree. A recentsurvey of Britain's top I00 graduate employers, for example, suggests that around 1,400more people this year will be hired fresh from university than were last year.
    The 8.7% rise in jobs on offer (the largest in four years) has been driven both byfirms (such as Deloitte, Google and British Airways) and by the public sector. TeachFirst's charitable scheme to get graduates teaching in tough schools is proving popular: itis now the single largest recruiter of young talent and has 1,550 vacancies.
    While the ethics of internships are hotly debated, the rise in the number of jobs alsocomes at a time when employers are offering more such placements to students. A systemthat encourages trying before buying, as it were, may finally be starting to pay off foryoung people.
    Better news for the global economy in recent days may also herald better jobprospects for youth around the world. The IMF (International Monetary Fund,encouraged by news from America, Japan and the euro zone, raised its global growthforecast for 2014 by 0.1 percentage point, to 3.7%. That fractional increase may meanmore childhood bedrooms, with ancient teddies and decrepit ( 破旧的 ) posters, are vacated by millennials with new employment elsewhere.