研究发现， “80后”是最穷的一代

“80后”这一代人恐怕在财富积累方面会成为“失去的一代”。这一结论来自一份报告，它调查了当今美国人的生活状况，并与前几代人在同一年龄段的生活状况作了比较。

这份所谓“人口财富”报告是由圣路易斯联邦储备银行的经济学家们做出的。他们发现，“80后”的实际财富比对这一群体的趋势预测要少34%， “70后”和 “60后”的财富同样少于趋势预测，分别是18%和11%。

研究指，造成这一状况的原因是“住房和债务”。 “60后”和“70后”起先也有巨大的房贷压力，而房价的跌落导致他们的净值下降，不过在房产市场复原后他们的状况好了很多。相比之下，“80后”要负担大量的学生贷款和信用卡债务，导致他们没有能力购买房产或股票，而房产和股票在过去几年价格上升，他们的收入本可以大涨。

即便如此，“80后”倒还不是负债最多的一代——这一“荣誉”属于“70后”。区别在于，上一代的负债主要是用于房产和其他资产，而年轻一代的负债却是为了“读大学”。

但不能说这完全是坏事。

研究进一步指出，“值得乐观的理由有两个，一来‘80后’大军还来日方长，二来他们是受教育程度最高的一代，所以他们将来有可能会成为最有钱的一群人。”（财富中文网）

译者：宣峰 

People born in the 1980s are in danger of becoming the “lost generation” in terms of accumulating wealth, according to a study that examined how Americans today are doing compared to previous generations at their age.

The “Demographics of Wealth” study, conducted by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, found that individuals born in the 1980s have 34% less wealth than what trends would predict for their age group. Those born in the 1970s are 18% behind where they should be, while those born in the 1960s are 11% behind.

According to the study, the issue comes down to “housing and debt.” While people born in the ’60s and ’70s initially had a good deal of mortgage debt and lower net worths thanks to housing pricing, they’re doing much better now that the housing market has recovered. In contrast, ’80s babies ended up with a great deal of student and credit card debt, making it so they couldn’t purchase homes or stocks, things that have seen a rise in value over the past few years and would have resulted in an income boost.

All that said, 1980s babies still aren’t the most indebted generation — that honor goes to those born in the 1970s. The difference is, according to the study, that the older generation is in debt for things like homes and other assets, while the younger generation is in debt for something a little different: their college education.

But the news isn’t all bad.

“Two reasons for optimism are that the 1980s cohort has many years to get back on track and it is the most educated — hence, also potentially the highest-earning — group ever,” the study notes.