THE proportion of young people living with their parents has not increased during the coronavirus crisis, new research suggests.

Those who did move home were mainly low-paid or unemployed, according to a study by the Resolution Foundation.

The report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, said that despite the impact of the pandemic on some people’s living conditions, the proportion of young people living with their parents has hardly changed over the 15 months since the crisis began.

Around one in four 18-34-year-old non-students reported living with their parents in June, a small fall compared to the figure in February 2020, said the report.

The lowest-paid young workers were more than twice as likely to move in with their parents than the highest-paid workers, according to the think tank.

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Long-term trends mean that many of the young people who have been most affected by the crisis were already living at home, it was indicated.

Maja Gustafsson, of the Resolution Foundation, said: “At the start of the crisis, many people expected an army of ‘boomerang’ millennials to return to their ‘boomer’ parents’ homes.

“But a year on from the onset of the crisis, young people are no more likely to live with their parents than pre-Covid.

“Those young people who have moved back or stayed with parents during the pandemic are more likely to have been low-paid or unemployed.

“While for many young people living with parents may be a temporary situation, and may enable them to save for their future, there is a danger that they can become trapped at home due to high rents and limited job opportunities.”

Alex Beer, of the Nuffield Foundation, said: “These findings run counter to the narrative that the pandemic increased the number of young people returning to their parental home.

“However, this important research also highlights the longer term trend of increasing numbers of young adults, often those in more precarious financial positions, living with their parents.

“This will be an active choice for some, but it is important that policymakers focus on improving access to housing, training and job opportunities, which are crucial to raising the living standards of young people across the UK.”