Why Gen Zers Are the Least-Happiest Employees at Work

By Araceli Crescencio, Inc. (TNS)

It’s no secret that happy employees are more productive.

However, according to a recent report from insurance giant MetLife, Gen Zers are the least happy employees of any generation. Only 62% of surveyed Gen Z workers reported being happy with their job, compared with 67% of boomers, 66% of Generation X, and 66% of millennials.

According to the report, one of the main reasons for the lower happiness rate among Gen Z employees is a gap between their strong desire to find professional purpose and their satisfaction with this aspect of their work. In fact, Gen Zers are the least likely among all generations to feel this fulfillment: Only 61% of Gen Z employees are satisfied with their work’s sense of purpose, compared with 68% of millennials, 70% of Gen Xers, and 70% of boomers.

What’s driving the gap? The report points to a number of factors, including substantial levels of distrust between Gen Zers and their employers. Only 65% of Gen Z employees feel trusted by their employer, compared with 69% of workers overall, and just 58% of Gen Zers trust their employer to “do the right thing,” compared with 65% of employees overall.

Another factor was work location: Employees with hybrid and fully remote work arrangements feel much more purposeful in their work than fully in-office employees (75% of surveyed workers compared with 64%, respectively).

Employers looking to better support Gen Z employees—who already outnumber boomers in the workforce—can evaluate whether hybrid or remote work might be an option for their business. According to PwC’s 2024 Trust Survey, other methods for building trust among employees include organizing in-person teambuilding activities and offering avenues for career advancement.

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