I'm Italian, we're one of the countries in Europe that have been hit the hardest by the economic downturn. Staying at home with your parents in your early 20s has always been the norm here (mostly because you don't have to move to go to college, the local university is usually as good as any other). The problem is, even if it's generally acceptable to say that you still live with your parents, there are literally no jobs, not even low-wage, menial jobs. There is no hope for things improving in the long term and there's the lingering suspicion that this whole staying at home with your parents is more than a temporary situation. The only option seems to be moving to another country, but it's not as simple as it sounds. First of all, if you're unemployed, you don't have the money to move to another place, let alone stay there until you find a job. Secondly, you can't move to another country if you don't know someone who's already there and can help you out. And lastly, there's no reason for an employer to pick you (a foreigner) over some local guy. So the outlook is really grim and there's not even an inkling of hope on the horizon.