(NAPSA)—What’s on the minds of the “elder” members of the Millennium Generation—or those in their early to mid-20s? The answers have been uncovered by “The Millennium Generation Study,” a Northwestern Mutual-commissioned survey conducted by Harris Interactive, which has found the generation’s mood to be a mixture of eagerness and anxiety. The Millennium Generation’s eagerness is reflected in what matters most—friends and family. Family time is important to Millennials and less than a third say they are willing to sacrifice it just to “get ahead.” They get together face-to-face with family and friends frequently or even daily. A reliable and responsible generation, half believe children should bear the financial costs of caring for parents when they becomeelderly. “By these indications, the generation could be described as the ‘We’ Generation, not a ‘Me’ Generation,” said Harlan Wahrman, director of corporate and market research at Northwestern Mutual. In their careers, Millennials are ambitious about jobs that provide an opportunity to help others. Showing this altruistic side, three-fourths say how they spend their time is more important than how much money they make. They also have an entrepreneurial spirit—more than half of recent college grads think someday they'll work for themselves or start a business. Although Millennials have a pos- 80% 81% 60% 6% 21% Getting married 34% Continuing education mGrads Immediately entering the ‘workforce Post Grads @ Millennials surveyed—college grads (class of 2004) and post grads (class of 2001)—havetheir priorities in order despite having their world turned upside down. itive outlook on work and family, they are anxious about the future because they've seen their world turned upside down.In the last few years, they have witnessed extraordinary events including terrorist attacks, war, an erratic economy and corporate scandals. Similar to the general population, most of those surveyed are pessimistic about the direction of the country, as 62 percent believe America is headed in the wrong direction. Dissatisfaction in the leadership of the nation’s high profile institutions hasalso increased. Despite these concerns, Millennials are generally happy and say they want to make a difference with theirlives. The Millennium Generation Study provides a snapshot of America’s youngest emerging leaders, from career goals and personal values to views on personal finance and society. For more information, visit www. GenerationStudies.com.
