New report from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman has lots of interesting data on what young people in the United States and the United Kingdom look for in a job.
An astonishing 62 percent of Gen Z workers are at least passively looking for a job as are 60 percent of Millennials (graphic below).
Some other key findings
– Young people today are twice as likely to struggle with mental health issues as older workers. Job and financial pressures arising from weak economic growth are one reason why Gen Zs are so stressed out.
– 41 percent of men and 48 percent of women have a side hustle of some sort whether it be a second formal or informal job.
A key takeaway form the study is that young people want flexibility. However, the rigid environment of unionized workplaces are unlikely to provide the flexibility that young people need.
And with so many young people having a side hustle, restrictions on freelancing, like those in California’s AB5, are going to make life even more difficult for young people trying to make ends meet.
The United States should be freeing up workers, not forcing them into rigid employment relationships. This is a big problem for the Democratic party as it pits one of their most important voting blocks (younger people) against one of their main funders (labor unions).
One of the components of the five points of opportunity is economic opportunity. That includes the ability to work how and where you and your employer want. We stand for greater workplace flexibility.
We also support market-driven health care systems that provide the flexibility that young Americans need to support their varied, changing work and lifestyles.