It’s almost a running joke among Baby Boomers and Gen X that Generation Z and Millennials are slackers. Gen Z and younger Millennials are more likely to be underemployed, live with their parents or receive financial support from their parents than previous generations, at least according to some recent surveys. Now a new study found that 20-somethings are also more likely to suffer unemployment due to ill health than previous generations of young workers. Indeed, 20-somethings are more likely to be unemployed due to health issues than workers twice their age.
According to the study, between 2018 and 2022, one in five (21%) of 18-24-year-olds with mental health problems were out of work, compared with 13% of those without mental health problems.
The number of young people out of work due to health problems is double what it was a decade ago. Also, a high percentage of those out of work lack a college degree or vocational training. Perhaps that’s part of the problem.
The health conditions that are supposedly preventing 20-somethings from working are mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and conditions like ADHD. A recent survey found nearly one-third of young people report some type of mental health condition. For those who are employed, sick days have increased by one-third in recent years. One chief HR officer described it like this:
Clearly, young people have many founded grievances about the lack of emphasis on wellbeing in the workplace, and the lack of effective strategies to manage and respond to feedback. Labelling Gen Z ‘work-shy’ or ‘generation sick-note’ simply isn’t good enough – companies need to act fast to implement measures that will boost wellbeing, and in turn, retention,” she said.
Funny thing: Hiring managers report it’s hard to recruit, hard to retain and hard to work with Gen Z workers.
Gen Zers are entering the workforce in droves. In 2023, 17.1 million entered the labor market, and by the end of 2024, it is expected there will be more members of this generation in the workforce than baby boomers.
This influx already is creating some headaches for hiring professionals who hail from previous generations. Polls show managers are having a tough time working with younger colleagues, for example, while many employers are finding it hard to hire and retain Gen Z workers.
Suffice it to say Gen Z aren’t particularly happy with the conditions of their working lives. College tuition is up (due to easy access to student loans). Educational debt is up (due to over-reliance on student loans). And housing prices and rent are up (due to poor government policies and a huge cohort of Baby Boomers). One woman became semi-famous on TikTok for explaining what is behind Gen Z angst. You can read about it and watch the video on Bored Panda. The writer throws out some bogus statistics that may explain why Gen Z is calling in sick a lot, not taking jobs and generally disillusioned with life.
“They label us as ‘lazy’ and entitled for not being able to make enough to live even though most of us work very hard and have multiple jobs. The reason we cannot make it in today’s economy is because we don’t make enough to keep up with the cost of living, not because we are lazy,” the woman explains.
I found it interesting that the HR professional (above) referred to ‘Generation ‘Sick-Note’. Past research has also found that labor force participation is down among males, including young men, due in part to poor job prospects due to lack of education. I have also read that Social Security Disability Income claims are up due in part to upper middle-aged men and women who use disability insurance to retire early, rather than engage in the labor market where their skills are inadequate.
So, is the economy making younger workers sick? Are they really sick or just slackers? Or perhaps they face a tougher labor market due to globalization. Or maybe this is just the latest example of old curmudgeons lamenting how tough they had it and complaining younger generations are not as tough as they were. I hope this changes soon. I expect to retire in a few years and need Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z to get off their duff and support me when I’m old and sick. If there is one area for Gen Z to complain about it’s how politicians bungled college costs and health care.