Spain's lost generation: thirty-somethings vs twenty-somethings
Spanish thirty-somethings show a higher level of resentment than twenty-somethings and forty-somethings, according to accounts reflecting the impact of the 2008 crisis and job insecurity.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Why Spanish thirty-somethings are more bitter than twenty-somethings
A weekend spent with three different age groups – twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings and forty-somethings – left a crushing impression: the middle generation is the most resentful. The story, which circulated in economic analysis circles, describes thirty-somethings as «gordicalvos y mortadelos tisicos, amargados e impertinentes» (a Spanish colloquial jab: pot-bellied, sickly, bitter and insufferable), while twenty-somethings come across as more energetic and less tied down.
The economic context behind the generational gap
The 2008 crisis, job insecurity and the impossible access to housing have hit hardest those who today are between 28 and 35 years old. While twenty-somethings have not yet collided head-on with the labour market, thirty-somethings are carrying a decade of accumulated frustration. The comparison with forty-somethings, who lived through the real estate bubble, does not flatter them either: those who missed the property boom see their situation as even worse.
Can generational bitterness be measured?
Beyond the anecdotes, youth unemployment figures (still above 20%) and the late age of leaving home (on average at 30) support the idea that the thirty-something generation bears the highest rate of overqualification and relatively lower wages. That this is expressed on social media as visceral discontent comes as no surprise.
The open question: will this trend reverse, or will twenty-somethings end up just as bitter when they turn 30?
Related discussions in the forum
A weekend spent with three different age groups – twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings and forty-somethings – left a crushing impression: the middle generation is the most resentful. The story, which circulated in economic analysis circles, describes thirty-somethings as «gordicalvos y mortadelos tisicos, amargados e impertinentes» (a Spanish colloquial jab: pot-bellied, sickly, bitter and insufferable), while twenty-somethings come across as more energetic and less tied down.
The economic context behind the generational gap
The 2008 crisis, job insecurity and the impossible access to housing have hit hardest those who today are between 28 and 35 years old. While twenty-somethings have not yet collided head-on with the labour market, thirty-somethings are carrying a decade of accumulated frustration. The comparison with forty-somethings, who lived through the real estate bubble, does not flatter them either: those who missed the property boom see their situation as even worse.
Can generational bitterness be measured?
Beyond the anecdotes, youth unemployment figures (still above 20%) and the late age of leaving home (on average at 30) support the idea that the thirty-something generation bears the highest rate of overqualification and relatively lower wages. That this is expressed on social media as visceral discontent comes as no surprise.
The open question: will this trend reverse, or will twenty-somethings end up just as bitter when they turn 30?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (52 replies).
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