As Gen Z has trickled into the workforce over the past decade, they’ve become a bit of a punching bag for discourse around laziness. Despite unusual economic trends shaping the working world before they even arrived (think: uneven wage-to-inflation rates, four generations being in the workforce at once, a system fragmented by technological innovation…), the myth prevails that Gen Z is the snowflake generation that simply can’t hack it at work. And while this certainly isn’t true, much to the ire of Gen Z’s critics, it’s also not exactly a reputation Gen Z is rushing to correct.
Coining phrases like ‘lazy girl jobs’ and ‘quiet quitting’, Gen Z is leaning into the chaos of the job market in the hope they’ll achieve something increasingly out of reach: work life balance. This is a generation who dared to dream they wouldn’t be defined by their productivity and “success” per labour force benchmarks. And while this dream is noble, it’s sadly nowhere near the reach of Gen Z, who are perhaps working even more than generations before. Despite struggling against the ‘hustle culture’ than defined Gen Y and millennials, it turns out Gen Z is actually hustling pretty hard.
According to ABS Data, a record number of young people are working more than one job. Apparently 9% of people aged 20 to 24 are holding down multiple positions. And these so-called ‘polyworkers’ are more likely to be women than men.
And just as terms like ‘quiet quitting’ swept TikTok, so did the concept of the ‘6 to 9’ — the job one works from 6 to 9am, before starting their regular 9 to 5.
According to the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (ACYC), this ‘polyworking’ trend has been progressing for at least five years, since before the COVID-19 pandemic. And, while for some it could be about the alleged promise of work-life-balance, for others, it’s simply a financial necessity.
“It’s hard for young people to even have stable employment in just one role, so they’re always needing to seek more than one or two avenues of revenue so that they can live day-to-day lives,” the ACYC co-chair, Sarah Ramantanis, told the ABC.
Failing more stable opportunities, Gen Z are also overrepresented in casual employment, like hospitality and retail.
ABS data says the Agricultural, Forestry and Fishing sector had the highest number of multiple job holders, but followed by professions that rely on young workers (administration and support, 9.1%; arts and recreation services, 8%; accommodation and food services, 7.9%).
Even in full-time employment, the myth that Gen Z aren’t willing to put in overtime is likely a myth. The BBC recently reported that a 2023 survey of 32,000 workers across 17 countries found that people aged 18 to 24 put in 8.5 extra free hours per week, compared to nearly 7.5 hours of 45 to 54-year-olds and just over five hours for those over 55. (Fun fact: Not only are Gen Z disproportionately working for free, they’re apparently paying their employers to work for free.)
Millennials and Gen Z are also the most likely generations to feel burnout — a claim some are also all-too happy to dismiss as a some kind of ‘weakness’, as opposed to a genuine concern.
It’s difficult to compare apples and oranges in labour market figures. However, as to the belief that Gen Z aren’t hard workers — while some may be talking a talk, there’s a good chance they’re not able to walk that walk. In actuality, the reasons for ‘quiet quitting’ and polyworking are a little more complex. Maybe it’s time we lay off the lazy myth?
