Broke Gen Zs turn down jobs – say they don’t have money to travel or clothes to work: report

Work doesn’t work for cool kids.

Due to the high cost of living and the stress of the rat race, would-be workers in their 20s are leaving their jobs because they can’t afford daily transportation or proper office wear. , according to a recent report.

“Young people find themselves in a vicious cycle,” said Jonathan Townsend, UK chief executive of the Prince’s Trust, in the NatWest Youth Index 2024.

He added: “Mental health has a negative effect on their work, however unemployment has a negative effect on their mental health.” “This is a very serious trap.”

Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 Zoomers, young adults aged 16 to 25, to find that one in ten people in the population have left job opportunities because of travel expenses or the cost of uniforms required for work.

A staggering 60% of Gen Z women and 45% of their male counterparts worry that the rising cost of living will prevent them from finding financial security.

But twentysomethings don’t just hurt financially.

The researchers also found that the troubling economic conditions, which hamper Gen Z’s job hunting, have “negative effects” on their “confidence, health and future aspirations.”

It’s a pessimistic view with problematic results.

Feeling that the weight of the world’s problems – inflation, climate change, social injustice and more – is on their shoulders, “burnt out” Gen Zs miss one day of work a week. each because of their mental health, according to worrying data from Vitality. , health and life insurance.

A separate January study showed that Gen Zers are more likely to take a “mental health day” from 9 to 5 than millennials and Gen Xers over 40.

“Youth unemployment due to illness is a real and growing trend,” said an analyst at the Resolution Foundation, a UK economic and social policy think tank. In the past ten years, the number of 18 to 24-year-olds who were out of work due to illness has more than doubled, rising from 93,000 to 190,000. ”

The disease is taking its toll, unemployed youth are depressed.

The NatWest Youth Index found that mental health issues prevented 18% of Gen Z from applying for a job, resulting in 12% not attending interviews and stop 10% asking for help with their CV or cover letters.

But an optimistic Townsend says there is “definite hope” for the “endless and dedicated generation.”

The study revealed that, despite financial and mental health issues, a staggering 68% of Gen Zs “are committed to achieving their life goals” by finding stable jobs. However, to win those basic positions, 32% said that formal help to get work experience or training would help them achieve their ambitions.

Many have also turned to TikTok for moral support from members of their generation.

“The majority of young people tell us that they are still determined to achieve their goals,” said Townsend. But what they need is practical, effective support to overcome their challenges, especially as the world of work is changing rapidly.”

“If we act now, with the support of partners like NatWest, employers, and the government,” he continued, “we can help young people on their way to work and ultimately live a stable and fulfilling life. ”

“This will not only benefit this generation but the wider society and the economy of the future for decades to come.”