For 19-24, I assume many of them are just not working and subsisting off of their parents incomes.

As for the rest, there are many ways individuals can get by. They can sustain themselves via their partner, get funds from friends and family, participate in underground workplaces, and last but not least, receive income from disability or other social services.

It is worth noting that numbers are falling about twice as fact for men as women. This could be related to the fact that two women now go to college for every one man.

anecdotally i see a lot of young people basically taking moonshots at crypto or gig work while living at home because the labor market no longer seems to provide them either stability or paths to independence.