Gen Zers are less satisfied with their jobs than older workers, per a Pew survey
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- Gen Zers are less satisfied with their jobs than other age groups, per Pew Research.
- Additionally, nearly 30% of people are not too or not at all satisfied with their wages.
- Some people are frustrated that prices are significantly higher than they used to be.
Gen Zers and people with lower incomes are less satisfied with their jobs than other Americans.
Seventeen percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 — the highest percentage of any age group surveyed — said they were not too or not at all satisfied with their jobs, per a Pew Research Center survey published on December 10. The 18- to 29-year-old cohort is predominantly Gen Z. Pew surveyed 5,273 US adults who were employed full- or part-time in October.
Additionally, 16% of respondents with lower family incomes said they are not too or not at all satisfied with their jobs, the highest percentage compared to middle- and high-income earners.
In recent years, job market challenges and rising prices have weighed on Americans, and it's affected how some of them feel about their current roles. While the unemployment rate remains low compared to historical levels, a widespread hiring slowdown has made it harder for some people to switch jobs. Additionally, while inflation has slowed, some people are frustrated that prices of goods and services are significantly higher than they used to be — and that their salaries haven't risen enough to keep up.
Meanwhile, some employed adults aren't satisfied with how much they're paid. Among the 29% of workers who said they were not too or not at all satisfied with their pay, the top reason they gave was that their wages haven't kept up with the cost of living.
To be sure, half of the Americans surveyed said they were extremely or very satisfied with their jobs while 38% reported being somewhat satisfied.
Are you feeling stuck in your current job? Reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com