“Boomerang kids are a major trend, and they represent a shift in cultural norms,” said David Morrison, president and founder of Twentysomething Inc., a consulting and research firm. “Young adults are the first to feel the brunt of a bad economy and the last to feel the benefits of a recovering economy. So the first way you hedge your bets is to minimize your expenses”

Saying there is now less of a stigma in moving back home, Morrison predicted that the trend of boomerang kids may lessen somewhat but still continue after the economy recovers. That could create longer-term effects in social relationships, from multigenerational family tensions to delayed marriage, he said.

According to the latest Pew survey and census data:

• About 20 million people ages 18 to 34 live at home with their parents - roughly 30 percent of that age group. That's up from about 18 million, or 27 percent, in 2005.

• About 12 percent of young adults ages 18 to 34 said they were forced to move in with a roommate because of the poor economy.

• Fifteen percent of adults 18 to 34 said they had postponed getting married due to the recession. That share increases to 21 percent for adults ages 25 to 34, when many people tend to get married.

• Fourteen percent of adults 18 to 34 say they delayed having a baby.

Pew based its findings on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. It also interviewed 1,028 people ages 18 and older by cell phone or landline from Oct. 21-25. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

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