Millennials just can't catch a break.
The generation, made up of people turning ages 26 to 41 this year, has long had a notorious bout of bad economic luck. Although they've been subject to the narrative of a frivolous generation who prefers to blow money on avocado toast, the reality is that their entrance into adulthood has been shortchanged by the economy.
"In a way, millennials are part of a vast and accidental social experiment," Kenan Fikri, the director for research at the Economic Innovation Group, previously told Insider. "We've never launched an entire generation with so much financial baggage."
He added that they're unique because they graduated into the throes of the Great Recession. From there, they became saddled with student-loan debt and soaring living costs only to stare down their second recession before the age of 40. Now, as they enter a life stage filled with big spending, their finances are marred by inflation.
Of course, not all millennials fit this bill. Some millennials, which generational researcher Jason Dorsey has dubbed "mega-llennials" for the "outsized advantage" they have over their less fortunate peers, don't identify with the negative stereotypes associated with their generation because they feel ahead of the game.
"It's almost like they got a head start," Dorsey told Insider, referring to the subset of millennials who don't fit the traditional media narrative of their generation. "They've been working and doing normal work-related stuff, but often are not getting attention for it."
But the average millennial feels behind in their career and finances. Here's a complete timeline of all the economic dominoes that have fallen on their path to financial stability.