Marriage and home-buying decisions put on hold for some as study reveals young adults bear the brunt of a tough economy Young Americans are more likely to be unemployed now than at any time since World War II, and the gap in employment between this group and and all working-age adults – about 15 percentage points – is the widest ever recorded. A study released Thursday by Pew Research Center reveals that the tough economy is affecting young adults (ages 18 to 34) in a variety of ways, including influencing their decisions about when to marry, where to live and what sorts of jobs to pursue