Dive summary:

• In the latest jobs report, the home-building sector added 4.5% to its workforce over the past year while the overall U.S. economy could generate only 1.7% more jobs.
• First-time home buyers are supposed to be a source of strength for the housing market, but 25% of people 25 to 34 years old are not employed, and that portion of the population needs to build up down-payment money and credit ratings before they can take on that role.
• The upside is that those who can buy are more likely to be qualified to keep their homes than were people who bought only because of the zero-down, no-credit-check conditions that helped bring on the now-burst bubble.

From the article:

... Only 75% of 25-34 year-olds are employed, remaining well below pre-bubble levels. In fact, this number is closer to the low point during the recession than to the pre-bubble normal of 78%-80%. ...