Being happy on the job matters more than pay for young workers

Two in five young people wouldn’t mind earning less money if they felt their work made a positive contribution to the world. Photo: AFP

According to new research, young people don’t have the same priorities and expectations as their elders when it comes to their professional career, and they don’t place it as centrally in their lives. So much so that many Generation Z and Millennials would rather be unemployed than work in a job they don’t like.

The Randstad employment agency asked 35,000 people from 34 countries about their view of the world of work. The researchers found that one-third of 18- to 35-year-olds are looking for a job. Despite this precarious situation, they are not willing to compromise their personal growth in order to pursue a career. In fact, 40% of Gen Zs and 38% of Millennials say they’d rather be unemployed than stuck in a job that makes them unhappy. In comparison, only 25% of Baby Boomers say they are willing to do the same.