Who wants to be a millennial? Generation comeback

Millennials have had a rough run. They entered the workforce during the worst recession since the 1930s, spent their twenties watching homeownership slip away, and absorbed a decade of cultural mockery about avocado toast and entitled attitudes. But according to new research from The Economist, the story is shifting. Senior economics writer Callum Williams argues that millennials are no longer a struggling cohort—they are quietly becoming the most economically advantaged generation in the rich world, and their comeback has been hiding in plain sight.

The slow start was real

Williams is careful not to dismiss the millennial experience as needless moaning. The hardship was genuine. During the 2010s, most millennials were in their twenties, and the 2008–09 financial crisis hit them hard. In Greece, youth unemployment exceeded 50 percent for years. In Britain, wage growth for people in their twenties was anemic. Roughly half of young Germans lived with their parents. The political consequences were visible: Occupy Wall Street in America, UK Uncut in Britain, and widespread millennial support for left-wing leaders like Jeremy Corbyn, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and Bernie Sanders. These movements were not frivolous—they were a response to a system that genuinely seemed rigged against young people.

What changed: the economy and demography