only one in four Gen Zers are committed to their jobs

AS SEEN ON'S GEN Z CAREER SURVEY

This has been a long time coming, but I think it’s worth the wait.

A few months ago,

Kate Whalen

— who writes

Pulse Check

— reached out to let me know she’d be game if I was ever interested in working on something together.

At the time, I had money on my mind. Specifically: how to make more of it, who had more of it than I did, and why. I was 25, three years out of college, a career expat, and the job market already looked a lot different than it had in my senior year. I also wasn’t loving my job. Few people I knew were. My friend groups seemed to be collectively brushing up their resumes while holding on tight fisted to their current roles. My group chats were filled with more workplace and job search anecdotes than dating ones.

It’s not lost on me that the cultural narrative around Gen Z turned sour post-COVID — right as pandemic bans lifted and a significant enough number of us entered the workforce.

Familiarity breeds contempt, no? Around the time I started writing this newsletter, few things were more in vogue than cataloguing all the ways Gen Z is bad at work: lazy, self-indulgent, uninspired. All that free thought, individualism, and the prioritization mental health suddenly seemed a lot less commendable than it had just a few years ago. Naturally, it was always the most extreme manifestations of these traits that bubbled to the top. Once again, the conversation about Gen Z was becoming a caricature of itself, albeit considerably less flattering this time around.

When Kate and I decided to work on this report, we wanted to capture how our peers were feeling — not only about their careers but also about the sentiment surrounding them in the workplace.

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We gathered data from 255 Gen Z respondents across 21 countries

images by Kate Whalen

26+ industries are represented, with the top three being Advertising & Marketing, Entertainment & Media, and Tech

And 87.1% of respondents have full time jobs

Today I’ll be sharing (with a bunch of quotes):

• what Gen Z really wants from work (hint: it’s not just more money)

• the surprising truth about remote work and flexibility

• why 77% of Gen Z are actively job hunting or open to new roles

• what Gen Z really thinks about their older colleagues

• and how they rate their own performance at work

• plus lots more!

Part 2 of this report — an in-depth look at how 14 Gen Z American women are feeling about money right now— will be published on Friday.

Enjoy!

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One in three of our Gen Z readers makes between $50k and $75k a year

And over 50% of respondents have one or more side hustle, or are planning to start one in the future

When we asked what they’d change about their career experience if they had a magic wand, 23% of them said: MORE MONEY

“I would magically imbue myself with a passion or ambition for something that would earn me at least £30k more than I’m making now. I’d have a more flexible schedule and work fewer hours — ideally 10 AM to 3 PM.”
— Product Manager in Zurich, Switzerland, making $75,000–$99,999

“I would want to be making enough to move out.”
— Data Entry Specialist in Lake Forest, California, making $25,000–$49,999

“I would increase my salary and that of others in my field. Most of us are making barely livable wages relative to the current economy. I have a four-year degree and three years of experience, but my salary doesn’t reflect that. Working for a small business, I’m also grossly underpaid for the number of roles I fill.”
— Director of Digital Marketing in Oklahoma City, making $25,000–$49,999

“I would definitely be paid more and have more PTO. Overall, my job is pretty good considering everything, but I feel underpaid and overworked for my role, which is frustrating.”
— Insurance Operations Specialist in St. Louis, Missouri, making $50,000–$74,999

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Nobody outside the U.S. is making over $125k/year

And 84.5% of Gen Z are making less than $100k annually

I was curious to see if higher earners felt any differently, so I filtered for those making six figures. The sentiments were the same.

One reader in Chicago, earning $100k–$125k in Accounting/Finance, said they’d like to be making $30k more.

Their biggest challenge? “Figuring out what I really want to do in five years.”

Their approach to work: “I’m there for my paycheck, not any love of work.”

A few other magic wand wishes:

“I’d dump my team. I really hate working with them.” — Software Engineer in NYC, $100k–$124k

“I wish I could be in the nonprofit world without sacrificing half my salary.” — Technical Instructor in SF, $125k–$149k

“I’d work less than 30 hours a week.” — Physician’s Assistant in Portland, $125k–$149k

“I’d make librarians well-paid and in high demand.” — Senior Software Engineer in Pharma, Oakland, $150k–$174k

“I’d work closer to my boyfriend.” — Consultant in NYC, $125k–$149k (I feel you, girl.)

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The word FLEXIBILITY came up a total of 310 times in responses — people want more control over their week.

More than half (54.9%) of Gen Zers are working hybrid, and one in four (25.9%) are fully in person.

But 83% say they’d choose hybrid if they had the option

And only 6% would choose to work fully in person

While money is the #1 thing Gen Zer’s claim would keep them around in a job, those who are happiest in their current roles highlight their flexible work-life balance.

For those working hybrid or fully remote, we wanted to know how they felt the arrangement had affected them romantically, socially, and professionally. While some respondents acknowledged that their professional lives might have suffered from remote work, most felt the gains in their social and romantic lives made up for it.

“Hybrid is great socially and romantically — my partner and I get to WFH together twice a week, and I can, for example, dip out midday for a run with a friend. Professionally, it’s probably a mild to moderate negative, since it’s destroyed the norm that teams should be colocated and we’ve bonded less as a result.” — Software Engineer, NYC

Not close friends with any of my coworkers, which is not what I imagined as a high schooler or college student. I have a boyfriend and would never date a coworker, so romantically, no impact. Professionally, I’m definitely learning at a slower rate and it’s harder to build important relationships with senior people and peers. I learned a lot faster and felt more confident in my role when I did a fully in-person internship in summer 2019.” — Product Manager, NYC

… while others did not.

“I've never worked in an office before and I imagine it must be at least a little romantic — getting dressed, brushing your hair, rushing out the door, having lunch buddies, being able to talk to someone other than your own walls.” — Fully remote Strategic Planner, Denver, Colorado

“Difficult to get to know the team over Zoom. Makes me feel less invested in the work, which is why I like in-office days.” — Consultant, Toronto, Canada

“I feel like I’ve missed out on social connections early in my career. I kinda romanticised post-work drinks and meeting new people, which never happened. I also wonder if not seeing older colleagues means I’ve missed out on role models or small tips that would help me grow.” — Account Manager, Edinburgh, Scotland

“I worked fully remote from 2020–2022 and I was depressed. I still feel socially stunted from that time.” — Energy & Utilities Associate, Chicago

“I notice a considerable drop in productivity and mental health if I WFH too many days in a row.” — Accounting & Finance Account Manager, Boston, Massachusetts

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Only one in four Gen Zers are committed to their current role for the foreseeable future.

77% of respondents are either actively job hunting or open to a new role.

In fact, their second biggest career challenge right now is job hunting.

On one hand, this figure is higher than I would’ve imagined — especially considering 64.3% of our respondents have been in their current roles for less than two years. But then again, it’s reflective of many of the conversations I’m having daily Like I said, very few people are loving their jobs.

The main source of this dissatisfaction seems to be the gap between young people’s career expectations and reality.

1. Job Market Reality Gap (24%)

Many respondents express shock at how difficult the current job market is, despite having done "everything right":

“I graduated with a tech degree last summer and still haven’t been able to land a full-time job.”

“This year will mark 3 years since I have graduated university and I am still not in a full-time, permanent position.”

“I thought I would be employed and making good money right out of college because I put the work in and got the degree like everyone told me to.”

2. Meaning/Purpose Disappointment (19%)

There's significant disillusionment about finding fulfilling work:

“I have never had a job that I enjoyed for more than a couple of months… I really expected to have a job or jobs that I truly enjoyed or found meaning in.”

“I’m only a few years in and already weighing up and planning for other job possibilities.”

“I thought I’d be more excited about the work I was doing.”

3. Financial Reality Check (17%)

Compensation has not met expectations, even with full-time professional jobs:

“I did everything we were told to do. I went to college, got the degree, did the internships, took on the extra certifications, got a part-time job, etc. Despite this, I still ended up with a really low salary right out of college and still do to this day, despite being in a leadership role at my current job. The saying ‘hard work pays off’ doesn’t feel like it applies anymore. You can check all the boxes, do everything right, and you’ll still get underpaid and overworked by an employer. It makes it really difficult to feel and act like a professional when you aren’t paid that way. The current job market makes me feel like my experience and effort have no value.” — Director of Digital Marketing, Oklahoma City, OK

4. Career Path Confusion (15%)

Many express surprise at their career trajectory and lack of clear direction:

“My path was a lot less linear than I expected it to be.”

“I’m almost 4 years out of college and I feel like I have even less of a clue about what to do next than I did before graduating.”

“I thought I’d know what I wanted by now, but I feel more confused.”

Other respondents expressed surprise at levels of workplace incompetence (“I didn’t realize how clueless people in power are”), how all-consuming full time jobs actually are (“I didn’t really think I was prepared for how much of your life 35 hours a week is”), and how surreal remote work still is (“It feels fake! I’m sitting in my room working on the same laptop I write funny little Substack stories on”).

When asked what would make them stay at their companies long term, the #1 request from Gen Z was, unsurprisingly, MORE MONEY.

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Gen Z feels fundamentally misunderstood by older generations at work

To start with, most of us think we’re actually doing a pretty good job

We asked respondents to rate their overall job performance in their current roles

• 50.7% feel they’re meeting all expectations with occasional standout work

• 18.9% believe they’re consistently exceeding expectations

• 14.5% say they’re consistently meeting core expectations

Like I said, doing great!

Yet, Gen Z is aware that older generations have a very different impression of them.

More than half of Gen Z workers say the biggest misconception about them is that they lack work ethic or commitment — a number more than three times higher than the next closest stereotype (expecting too much too soon).

This signals a clear disconnect between how Gen Z sees their own work ethic and how they think others, especially older generations, see them. The strength of this response suggests real frustration among young workers, many of whom feel their effort and dedication go unnoticed or are unfairly judged.

It’s also worth noting how few respondents (just 5.1%) picked “too focused on work-life balance,” which shows that while balance matters to them, it’s not the label they believe defines their place at work.

We asked our Gen Z readers how they’d describe their mindset and approach to work compared to older generations.

TL;DR: It’s a job, not a life. And loyalty isn’t free.

“I probably see it more as a means to live my life, as opposed to it being my entire personality.” — Structural Engineer, Greensboro, North Carolina

“I don’t feel I owe any loyalty or dedication to the company I work for. I’ve seen people get discarded and replaced, and it’s hard to conceive why I should have any emotional connection to the company whatsoever.” — Brand Strategist, Amsterdam, Netherlands

“I can’t die because of work. If it gets too much, I’ll simply leave — no regrets. And I don’t think my employer does me a favor by hiring me. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, so I deserve respect too.” — Accountant, Lagos, Nigeria

“It’s just work :) Nobody is going to die if I miss an email, and I close my laptop at 5 PM. I don’t care what happens with my team after working hours. Older generations are more likely to view work as their sole purpose in life.” — Consultant, Toronto, Canada

“My peers and I love unions… more than I can say for these boomer types. I prioritize having a robust social, community, and artistic life, but I’m also very productivity-pilled and busier than most people I know (two steady jobs, community organizing, plus hobbies). I know I’ll never want to work as much as my parents did, and I never want to work 40 hours a week in person. That’s a generational difference — but beyond that, I’m not sure how different I am from the organizers and starving-artist types who came before me.” — Community Engagement Coordinator, Chicago, Illinois

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Some Final Thoughts…

Working on this over the last few weeks has been incredibly validating. When I first sent out this survey, I was still in my full-time role at Adidas — a company I’d been with since graduating — debating whether to stay or leave.

It’s now been a month since I made the decision to leave, and it’s been scary as hell but also wildly exciting. Revisiting these responses reminded me how lucky I am to have that choice — and how universal those daily workplace frustrations are.

To every Gen Zer who took the time to share your thoughts with me: thank you. I see you. You’re not crazy. This shit actually sucks. And worst of all? I do think it’s going to get worse before it gets better — and those of us at the start of the career ladder will bear the brunt of it. But I’ve also found that, in life, you often have to do what you must before you can do what you want. Sometimes, I think that’s what being young is about.

For those of you with rich parents, be nice to them. No one wants to hear how annoying your parents are if they’re giving you $$$.

And if you’re in a position to hire, mentor, or even grab coffee with a young person, do it. We’ll pay for the coffee. Did you have it harder than we did? Probably. But that’s not the point, so don’t be that person.