Gen Z was ‘jaded about employment before we ever entered the workforce’—now psychologists say the stare has hardened into something worse

Gen Z's jaded view of employment, shaped by the Great Recession and current economic challenges like housing and job market barriers, has hardened into distrust. A SignalFire analysis shows entry-level hiring dropped over 50% from 2019-2024, while 57% of Gen Zers believe their generation faces financial failure.