In some of Asia's biggest economies, young adults are living longer with their parents as they struggle to strike out on their own.

The aging of the Japanese and South Korean societies, and the significant slowdown in their economic growth rates, are contributing to a large increase in households with elderly parents supporting adult offspring who haven't been able to leave home. In some cases, it's even forcing parents to delay retirement.

The stubbornly high youth unemployment rate is seen as a big part of the problem in South Korea. This is less of an issue for Japan, where the rise of part-time and contract employment, which often comes with low pay and little security, is a major contributor. In both cases, the opportunities for high school and college graduates to secure steady jobs in offices or on factory floors are not what they were for their parents.