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Single this Valentines Day? Youre not alone. New research from The Harris Poll shows that nearly half of Americans (46%) are not in relationshipsmany of them on purpose. The report, shared exclusively with Fast Company, calls it a cultural revolution, in which people are using singlehood as a way to prioritize their agency rather than focusing on traditional relationship expectations. Not everyone is staying single, but 80% of Americans say you dont need marriage to be happy. In fact, singles are more likely than those in relationships to say they’re living a fulfilling life. More time for friendshipsor careers The idea of what makes a fulfilling relationship and life is shifting. Two-thirds of Gen Zers are staying single, and percentages across generations are up since 2023. More than three-quarters of Americans want friendships to become a respected form of serious adult relationships. Singles enjoy having the ability to prioritize experiences and personal growth instead of pursuing traditional milestones within a romantic partnership. Driven increasingly by young women, the perception of single status is shifting from a waiting room to a complete lifestyle. More than 25% of women prefer being alone, compared with 16% of men. Some research has found that men, in general, experience more benefits than women from being in a relationship, which might explain this discrepancy. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); While single, men and women have different goals. Single women are more likely to prioritize travel or friendships, while single men are more likely to focus on career advancement. Single people in general love their time and agency. They dont have to worry about a partners financial concerns. They have the flexibility to choose housing that saves money, whether thats living with family or roommates. They have free time for a side hustle. But some traditional milestones are less accessible to single people. Financial agency allows single people to spend their money how they want, but it has also forced three-quarters of singles to become more financially independent. People might be single and happy about it more than ever, but the system is still built around couples. That might be why 80% of singles said they want more “single-friendly” financial benefits like tax breaks, better healthcare costs, or housing programs. The survey of 2,177 U.S. adults was conducted online in January. Of the individuals surveyed, 785 were considered singles, defined as single and not dating, or single and dating but not in an official relationship.
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The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate is holding at just above 6% after reversing a modest uptick in recent weeks, just as the housing market closes in on the spring homebuying season. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate slipped to 6.09% from 6.11% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.87%. The modest pullback brings the average rate back to where it was three weeks ago. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also edged lower this week. That average rate fell to 5.44% from 5.5% last week. A year ago, it was at 6.09%, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserves interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.13% at midday Thursday, down from 4.21% a week ago. Mortgage rates have been trending lower for months, helping drive a pickup in home sales the last four months of 2025, but not enough to lift the housing market out of a deep sales rut dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The combination of higher mortgage rates, years of skyrocketing home prices and a chronic shortage of homes nationally following more than a decade of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained stuck last year at 30-year lows. Lower mortgage rates failed to revive home sales last month. They posted the biggest monthly drop in nearly four years and the slowest annualized sales pace in more than two years. This week’s drop in mortgage rates comes two weeks after the Federal Reserve decided to pause cuts to its main interest rate after lowering rates three times in a row to close out 2025 in an attempt to shore up the job market. The central bank doesnt set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys that influence mortgage rates. Economists generally expect mortgage rates to stay relatively stable in the coming months, with forecasts calling for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to continue to hover around 6%. However, that may not be enough to unlock affordability for many prospective home shoppers, nor encourage homeowners who bought their home or refinanced when rates were sharply lower to sell now and buy at current rates. Nearly 79% of homeowners with a mortgage have a rate below 6%, according to Realtor.com. That’s leading to fewer homes on the market, which helps keep propping up prices. “In short, while the market remains stable, a larger drop in rates will be needed to attract new buyers and sellers and truly reignite the housing market, said Jiayi Xu, an economist at Realtor.com. Alex Veiga, AP business writer
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E-Commerce
Airova is recalling 191,390 Aroeve air purifiers over concerns that they could “overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers,” according to a recent notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Airova received 37 reports of the air purifiers overheatingincluding one incident that resulted in a firehowever, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage. The CPSC notice said the popular air purifiers were sold online at Amazon, Shopify, Temu, and TikTok Shop, for between $80 and $134, from September 2024 through June 2025. Airova’s Aroeve units are known for their stylish design, as well as for improving indoor air quality by filtering out smoke, dust, pollen, pet dander, and even odor. Here’s what to know. What air purifiers are recalled? This recall involves black and white Aroeve brand air purifiers that were manufactured before July 2025 and have a serial number starting with BN. The model, date code, and serial number are printed on the product label on the bottom of the devices. This recall applies to Aroeve brand air purifiers, and model MK04 only. No other models are included. Brand: Aroeve Importer: Airova Inc. of Newark, California Model Number: MK04 Serial Number Range: Starts with “BN” Manufacturer: Manufactured in China Manufacture Date: Before July 2025 What to do if you own one of the air purifiers Consumers should stop using the recalled Aroeve air purifiers immediately, and contact Airova for a free replacement by sending an email to Aroeve-airpure-recall@outlook.com, or by filling out a product recall form at aroeve.com/pages/product-recall-information. For more information, consumers can visit Aroeve’s website.
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E-Commerce
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