13 min read 'Youâre just going round on a hamster wheel': Rents are high and home ownership has become a pipedream for most. Was it any easier to be a young adult in 2001, or even in 1981? Life in Ireland is not easy for those in their 20s and early 30s. They are earning less in real terms than they might have in the 1990s or 2000s. They are grappling with higher rents and wages that have plateaued, according to a report published this week by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Those turning 30 this year may be the first to have lower living standards than the previous generation. As a result of this and changing social expectations, they are also settling into committed relationships later, pushing out starting a family, and are less likely to regard the job theyâre in as the one theyâll have for life. Home ownership for many has become a pipedream. The data suggests a troubling picture of economic uncertainty and personal as well as wage stagnation. But itâs also true that todayâs 30 year olds are entering adulthood in a more socially progressive Ireland.