Employ a Millennial! You don't actually have to pay them!

I actually like this piece in the Atlantic, 25 is the new 21. It brings up the sad truth that even the successful and better-financed of the Millennial generation are dependent upon mom and dad as they begin their lives. It must be a great time to be an employer. College graduates are a dime a dozen, and you can get away with underpaying them because thankfully their parents are willing to step in for living expenses. Really, though, I think the issue here is with a cultural myth that tells young people that everybody should go to college, regardless of the expense, and expect a return.

I was sold a promise that with a college degree, I would out-earn my less-educated peers. I'm still waiting for the return on that investment. President Obama is still trying to tell me that as a Millennial, the most important thing he can do for me is make sure I can get a college education.

I think that in light of our Millennial job crisis--too few jobs, too low wages, too much college debt--it's time to start considering the real problem. There aren't too few college graduates; there are too many.

Here's what's up: half of college graduates are working jobs that don't require a college degree. That's because only 35 percent of jobs require a bachelor's degree. That means that 65 percent of jobs don't require a four-year degree!

So why the big push to go to college? Well, Sallie Mae's doing pretty well. I sure would love to stumble into an industry where the government pays me subsidized credit on top of the millions (billions) I'm charging my clients.

My point? 25 doesn't have to be the new 21. If we as a society can step back and align our educational values with the job market, we might see a country where young people aren't held hostage by a never-ending adolescence.