Final answer:
The reason for delayed independent adult status includes changes in workforce requirements, such as the need for higher education and the resulting extended time in completing degrees, coupled with the lack of adequate employment leading young adults of the Boomerang Generation to return home.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the reasons for delayed independent adult status is changes in the workforce and educational expectations. People in higher-income and more industrialized countries are living longer, and hence there is the freedom to take more time to start a career and family. A high school diploma is no longer sufficient for many jobs, and higher education, like Bachelor's and graduate degrees, are increasingly required. This educational pursuit often coexists with employment, prolonging the time taken to complete a degree, which can be five or six years. Afterward, due to lack of adequate employment, many individuals return to their parental home, a phenomenon known as the Boomerang Generation. Cultural expectations have also shifted, with young people spending more time exploring their options, thus delaying familial and work commitments to a later timetable than previous generations.