Nagging concerns about the global economic downturn and rising unemployment are forcing many young Britons to think twice about tying the knot this year, a think-tank said on Saturday.

Nagging concerns about the global economic downturn and rising unemployment are forcing many young Britons to think twice about tying the knot this year, a think-tank said on Saturday.

Almost 80 percent of young British couples living together want to get married, the think tank Civitas said, but would reconsider their wedding plans due to increasing job losses as companies cut costs and lay off workers.

"As the recession bites it's going to be harder for partners to make that commitment - without financial stability and jobs they won't have the confidence to say 'I do'," Anastasia de Waal, director of family and education at Civitas, said.

The study, which surveyed 1,560 adults aged between 20 to 35, also found that for 50 percent of the people making a commitment was the most important reason to get married, and only two percent considered marriage for tax advantages.

"If my boyfriend asked me now, then I would still say 'yes', but I wouldn't waste my money for a high-profile wedding," Jenny Brown, an employee works in London's central financial district.

But De Waal said the recession would have a serious impact on planning a life together.

"This is not about being able to afford a fancy wedding dress for 10,000 pounds or not."

A British Social Attitudes survey in January found that young people showed a less traditional attitude towards marriage and would put their careers first.

About 40 percent of people aged between 18 to 34 said marriage was still the "best kind of relationship," compared with 84 percent of people aged 65 and over, it said.

The release of the study coincided with the launch of Marriage Week UK on Saturday, using the slogan "Celebrating Commitment" and promoting the importance of marriage for family life and society.