Economists say things are getting better. Young adults sure hope so. Some never have known anything but dour economic times, and a new study says they’ve felt the downturn deeply. According to the survey by Pew’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, about a quarter of 18- to 34-year-olds have worked without pay to get experience, and a third have gone back to school because they couldn’t find work. They’ve had to make some adjustments in their personal lives, too. About a third say they’ve held off on getting married or having a baby, and 25 percent have moved back with their parents. The economy, according to sociologist Katherine Newman of Johns Hopkins University, has “resulted in a trend of what I call ‘accordion families,’ meaning parents who are opening up the family home to reabsorb young people who need their help to get to the next stage of life, which is coming much later than it used to.” (USA Today)