Gen Z is a financially disadvantaged and socially misunderstood generation

As more and more Gen Zers enter the workforce, stark differences are now evident between their behavior and that of prior generations. The clashes are most significant with Gen X coworkers.

Gen Xers find wearing jeans to be acceptable as informal workplace attire; for Gen Zers, it’s yoga pants. Gen Xers value work-life balance, while Gen Zers seek flexibility and work-life integration, choosing jobs that align with their personal values. Gen Xers prefer an organizational structure that follows a traditional hierarchical leadership style, whereas Gen Zers prefer a collaborative and empowering leadership approach.

Gen Zers seek flexibility and work-life integration, choosing jobs that align with their personal values.

From my fellow Gen Xers, I hear a narrative of the future being bright with the new generation entering the workforce given their digital abilities — but also a stream of complaints about that not translating into real-world abilities.

Gen Zers generally lack sufficient income to sustain a decent living, which in turn impacts their social behavior. Across the U.S., for a Gen Zer to survive, their annual income would need to be at least $39,269. Here’s how I figure it:

It might be possible to sustain the preceding level of expenses with $18.88 per hour as the minimum wage. But Gen Z also has a high rate of college-level education. With the increased cost of higher education, this has also meant that they have had to take on significant debt to obtain a diploma. The average college debt load in the U.S. for a Gen Zer is $20,900. For a fresh college graduate, the loan payment would be $2,808 annually, calculated at 6.12% interest and a 10-year term.

Adding the student loan payment to the life-sustaining income of $39,269, the Gen Zer that graduates from college today in the U.S. would need to earn a minimum of $42,077 annually, or $20.22 per hour.

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Even at this income, any unexpected expense in the beginning years of their career would drastically derail their hopes of achieving the American dream. Further, those in high-cost living areas will face the added pressure of additional cost of living at this income, and the possibility of building a good savings or retirement balance is minimal.

Unfortunately, the earning potential for Gen Zers in many cases does not allow for this. The Q3 2024 annual median income report obtained from Lightcast for the 798 different professions across the United States is $53,071. In 199 professions, the annual median salary is below what is needed for a new graduate to sustain basic needs ($42,077). In an additional 200 professions, the salary is below the national median of $53,071. The data include income in high-paying professions like medical practitioners, airline pilots, lawyers, and other professions where a graduate degree is required.

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A graduating Gen Zer will almost certainly earn income that is below the median income for any profession. Overall, the data suggest that for the most part, a Gen Zer entering the workplace is financially stressed right out of the gate and in a constant state of economic struggle to survive.

Not surprisingly, a 2024 survey of Gen Zers has shown that cost of living remains their top concern by a wide margin compared with their other concerns. The survey showed that 56% of Gen Zers live paycheck to paycheck. Numerous scientific studies have shown an inverse correlation between the financial stress felt by an employee and their productivity, attention span, and morals.

As employers look to hire Gen Zers and integrate them into their workplace, I call upon them to first check their misconceptions and biases about Gen Zers. The perceived lack of work ethic, short attention spans, and lack of loyalty may not be the actual traits of a generation, but rather symptoms of the large amount of financial stress that generation experiences.

Perhaps employers could reflect that working from home may not be a benefit Gen Zers seek in order to avoid being at the workplace, but rather to decrease their transportation and other costs related to coming to work. And wearing yoga pants at work may not be a direct reflection of their professional dignity, but rather a perception of avoiding unnecessary costs.

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Only when we truly understand Gen Zers can we develop a truly productive and people-centric workplace.

And lest we forget, Generation Alpha is only a few years out.

Vishal Shah is the dean of the division of math, science and health careers at Community College of Philadelphia. The opinions expressed in this op-ed do not represent those of Community College of Philadelphia.