It is often assumed that the pathway from home to university and onwards to the labour market is a linear upward trajectory, ultimately resulting in improved opportunities and social betterment. This briefing summarises research tracing the lives of graduates across the five year period after leaving university, revealing that their migration pathways are often complex, non-linear and precarious. During this prolonged period of instability the parental home (and parental support more generally) provides a crucial safety net, potentially placing additional burden on mid-life parents who may also have care responsibilities to the older parent generation. Within the context of an ageing population and extending transitions to adulthood, the implications of these findings for adult social care, young adult welfare and regional economic development policy are discussed.

Speaker: Joanna Sage, Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton