Gen Z Isn't the 'Snowflake Generation' and Probably Works Harder Than You, Research Shows Thirty percent of Americans are working a side hustle due to economic concerns.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
It's the era of the side hustle — and everyone's getting in on it.
New research from marketing and data analytics company Kantar revealed that 36% of millennials, 30% of Gen X and 21% of Boomers have at least two jobs, but Gen Z are the busiest side-hustlers — with 40% working an extra gig, Fox Business reported.
Related: Managers on Gen Z: 'Difficult' at Work and 'Lack Discipline'
It's little wonder why: Gen Z are more likely than other generations to report that the pay they receive for their work does not afford them a good quality of life (26% compared to 20%), and 77% of them are in search of a new job (nearly double the rate of other respondents), per a McKinsey & Company report.
The Kantar study also found that 30% of Americans work a side hustle due to economic concerns; 49% do so to combat economic uncertainty; and 34% do so to meet current financial needs.
So, despite reports of Gen Zers participating in buzzy and much-maligned movements like "quiet quitting" and "bare minimum Mondays," it appears the youngest working generation does know what it takes to succeed in today's high-cost-of-living environment.
Related: Gen Z Says Boomer Colleagues Are 'Tech-Shaming' Them
"It's also a reminder of the importance of having first-party quality data to challenge fallacies: Gen Z is not the 'snowflake generation' but an incredibly hardworking resilient group — one of the counterintuitive insights revealed in this report," Caroline Frankum, CEO of Kantar's Profiles division, said.
