Why Gen Z doesn’t want to work

With rising living costs and poor job security, Gen Z refuses to be chained to a paycheck-driven life in an economy in which it is increasingly difficult to succeed

Generation Z is the next cohort entering the working-age group, but our approach to work is dramatically different from the generations before us. While previous generations followed a simple path—finish school, get a degree, find a job and then work your way up—Generation Z faces a much different reality and set of challenges. The dream of a stable job, a good salary and a comfortable life after obtaining a degree is no longer as certain as it once was.

The economy today has changed dramatically, largely because of technology. With the rise of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, many jobs have become less secure.

Having a degree no longer guarantees a stable career, and in some cases, it doesn’t even guarantee a decent job. Because of this, Generation Z is looking for new ways to make money and create job security. Some of us are turning to remote work, others are exploring social media careers like being influencers and many are looking into marketing and digital jobs.

Another challenge we face is that the job market is becoming increasingly saturated. According to the Government of Canada, the number of job openings in the first quarter of 2024 was 3.6 per cent lower than in the previous quarter. In comparison to the first quarter of 2023, job vacancies fell in eight of the 10 broad occupational groups. The biggest drop in job openings from 2023 to 2024 was seen in sales and service jobs, which decreased by 33.6 per cent.

As a Generation Z university student, I know firsthand how easy it is to feel pressured to take on jobs outside of your career path and field. During the job-hunting season, typically from January to May, you can spend countless hours perfecting your resume and applying to as many jobs as possible, hoping to secure summer work.

But as the season winds down, especially for those of us about to graduate, frustration and desperation start to set in. After weeks of job applications, resume updates and a few interviews with no results, the pressure to just find any job grows.

In the end, many of us end up applying for positions outside our field or settling for part-time or temporary work simply because we need to pay the bills. This happens especially when inflation increases at a faster rate than the minimum wage, making it harder for us to maintain our expenses.

For example, in Ontario, the cost of living has been rising much faster than wages, making it harder for young people to afford basic living expenses. When inflation is higher than wage increases, it becomes much more difficult to make ends meet.

Besides the financial pressures, individuals of Generation Z also have a tendency to question old methods and traditions. Many of us are not convinced that working a traditional nine-to-five job is the best way to live. Many in this generation don’t want to spend most of their lives working just to pay off debt.

In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for people to be trapped in debt, working long hours without the chance to really enjoy life. The 2019 Canadian Financial Capability Survey found that 73.2 per cent of Canadians have some type of outstanding debt or have used a payday loan at some point over the past 12 months.

For some, this means sacrificing time with family or missing out on personal goals, like having children or spending time with them as they grow up. Many of us want to find a better balance between work and our personal lives. I personally worry at times about raising kids in a world where technology often replaces in-person connections.

Older generations may criticize Generation Z, labelling us as lazy or entitled, especially when comparing us to people in the past who worked traditional jobs. However, these criticisms don’t consider the many unique challenges we face today, such as rising living costs, job insecurity and a job market that is dynamic and complex like never before. While hard work, education and determination are still important, it’s clear that the traditional model of success no longer always applies.

It’s important to recognize that we are simply adapting to the world we live in. It is not that we are refusing to work; we are finding new ways to make money and seek security in a changing economy. The traditional idea of a job and career has changed, and it’s time to adjust to these new realities.

So, to those who criticize us, Generation Z does not want to work. Rather, we are facing unprecedented dynamics in the job market and challenges in making ends meet that are uniquely difficult to navigate. In light of this, our goal should be to find a balance between hard work and enjoying life while also exploring new ways to be successful and financially secure.