All change for 'Spenties', says Gumtree

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Under pressure young Brits plan major lifestyle changes for 2008

Over seven million* Brits in their twenties admit they are deeply unhappy with their lives and under intense pressure to succeed in jobs, finances and relationships, according to new research by Gumtree.com (January 2008).

Emigration, anyone?

As a result, Brits in their twenties – dubbed the ‘spenties’ because they feel financially and emotionally ‘spent’ – are planning dramatic lifestyle changes in 2008, including:

A new job (37%)
A complete career change (21%)
Going traveling (18%)
Moving house (36%)

Half a million young Brits in their twenties are planning to leave the UK and emigrate abroad, which could represent a real drain on the British workforce.

The pressures

The research by Gumtree.com has highlighted a generation of disillusioned and dissatisfied young twenty-something Brits who are coping with financial and career pressures while dealing with traditional expectations around marriage and kids.

While two in five (40%) are worried about their finances and don’t think they earn enough, a third (31.9%) feel pressured to get married and have children by the time they hit 30.

A different socioeconomic environment

Damian Barr, author of ‘Get it Together: A Guide to Surviving Your Quarter-Life Crisis’ believes today’s twenty-somethings are under more pressure than previous generations: “Not only do today’s twenty-somethings face serious financial pressures such as student debt, high career expectations and a property market that’s out of their reach, they are also having to cope with society’s traditional expectations around finding a partner and having children.

“Part of this is to do with what their parents achieved – the generation of babyboomers who have had it all and are now about to enter prosperous retirement. Their kids are now trying to live up to their parents’ success, but the reality is that today’s twenty-somethings are dealing with a socioeconomic environment that’s very different to when their parents were young
and things aren’t as easy anymore.”

Don’t be so hard on yourself!

Psychologist Gladeana McMahon comments: “What we’re seeing is a vicious circle, whereby feelings of inadequacy and disillusionment because of career and financial pressures are affecting other areas of their lives such as relationships. While making dramatic changes to lifestyle are one way of coping, today’s twenty-somethings also need to learn to reassess their lives and not be so hard on themselves.”

*Population figures sourced from The Office of National Statistics: 8,635,100 people aged between 20 and 30