Towards the end of today’s front page LA Times examination of how the Recession is impacting the nation’s bewildered twentysomethings, author Don Lee shares the most chilling of his feature article’s quoted statistics. As a result of the disappearance of young affluence, the Census mark of adults who are married, at 52%, is the lowest it has been in more than a century.

Explains Mark Mather, a D.C. demographer:

“Marriage is becoming more and more for those who can afford it. These kinds of social changes tend to be glacial, but they’re happening quickly.”

There are of course other issues at play here, from changing social mores to the inability of most same-sex couples to obtain a legal marriage license. But for many young Americans, like the 24-year-old Wisconsin waitress who is convinced there will be no more Baby Booms, the thrust of Lee’s piece is devastatingly correct.

Expanding upon Mather’s glacial, climate change analogy, perhaps we need a new label for the Recession along the lines of “Global Storming.” Although there’s only so much Recession news coverage that can be digested on a daily basis, we recommend reading Lee’s piece when you have a moment.