Gen Z and work, a situationship
Plus, the other '30 under 30' list, TikTok usage quintuples, and the allure of trade schools
Gen Z has commitment issues. At least when it comes to work.
A new report dubbed a “Gen Z workplace blueprint” from the Dutch firm Randstad highlights just how precarious early career life is for the youngest generation in the labor market. Entry level jobs have evaporated, down 29% since January 2024, as companies prioritize senior roles.
And when Gen Z does land a job, they don’t stay long. The average stint is just 1.1 years per role during the first five years of work. Compare that to millennials (1.8 years), Gen X (2.8), or boomers (2.9).
To older generations, this might look like flakiness. But the context tells a different story.
The context: Gen Z only knows a work world in crisis. They entered the job market during Covid, when hybrid and remote work blurred norms and are now navigating AI-induced disruption. It’s not that they aren’t trying, but rather, the deck feels stacked against them. (This tracks with what we reported in The Up and Up’s Class of 2025 report last spring).
Randstad’s survey backs this up:
41% of Gen Z say their education (or its absence) is blocking them from their dream role
40% blame their personal background – e.g. demographics or their family situation – for why they aren’t chasing their preferred career
And 41% admit they lack confidence to even look for a new job
One deeper takeaway: The result is a generation shaped less by quiet quitting than by circumstances beyond their control – that reinforce insecurity and chip away at ambition.
A few more trends…
AI is creating new inequality
The report also shows how AI is exacerbating divides.
Gen Z men are 5 points more likely than women to feel excited about using AI at work
Gen Z men are 8 points more likely than women to get AI training
White collar Gen Z workers are 15 points more likely than blue collar workers to receive AI training
White collar workers are also more likely to problem solve using AI – so are men
Globally, Gen Z Americans are falling behind when it comes to AI
They are among the least likely to use AI for problem-solving at work, second only to Japan. Indian Gen Zers, by contrast, are almost twice as likely to do so.
The bottom line: If AI is the new literacy, many young Americans are already behind.
The self-employment dream
Not surprisingly, Gen Z isn’t dreaming of corporate ladders. They’re reimagining stability and putting themselves first – perhaps, because they feel like their employers aren’t. They’re not just trying to earn more money. Amid instability, they want autonomy in building their own future.
Asked what type of work they want to do compared to what they currently do:
20% say the ideal setup is “one full time role + side hustle”
12% say they’d rather be entirely self-employed
What employers can do: Randstad’s CEO, Sander van’t Noordende, argues companies need to meet Gen Z halfway by offering benchmarks, innovating on education, prioritizing development, and empowering them. He says, “Employers have a choice. They can see mobility as a risk - or they can see it as an invitation. With the right approach, Gen Z’s ambition can fuel innovation, leadership, and long-term impact.”
The Up and Up’s take: Mentorship is the missing link. Too often, workplaces assume that because Gen Z grew up online, they already “get” AI or understand professional norms. In reality, they need training, guidance, and champions. Pairing young hires with experienced mentors fosters not just skills, but respect and retention. For a generation so often accused of job-hopping, the real issue is a sense of belonging.
Since Gen Z entered the working world, there’s been stigma about their relationship to work (a few examples: that they don’t want to do it, that they’re shirking responsibilities to become influencers or focused too much on ‘work-life balance’, that they’re only there to do their time and get ahead, or that they’re outright lazy) – and a whole lot of criticism thrown at them for their inability to stay at a job for a significant chunk of time. But this is circumstantial.
Gen Z only knows a work world in crisis – first, thanks to Covid-19 and work from home or hybrid policies, and now, with the impact that AI is having across the job market. Both of these global reckonings have shifted the paradigm of workplace culture, with Gen Z inevitably to blame for evolving dynamics at work. But these events and their ripple effect on work have been outside their control. And while Gen Z is eager to lead from the drivers’ seat, many institutions of work have pushed them to the sidelines.
All of these dynamics compound, leading to Gen Z’s eroding sense of self confidence in the workplace. That leaves the most ambitious (who, often, are the most advantaged) to think outside the box about new ways to get ahead. In turn, success feels circumstantial – a possibility only for a privileged few.
Other news
The ‘30 under 30 list’ that shouldn’t exist… Gen Z’s TikTok usage is nearly 5x what it was in 2020, and trade schools > college
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Noteworthy reads
The Rise of America’s Young Socialists from the 2008 Financial Crisis to Mamdani, Joshua Chaffin for The Wall Street Journal
What Ever Happened to Getting to First Base?, Molly Langmuir for The Atlantic
Climbing Cringe Mountain with Gen Z, Yola Mzizi for The New York Times