61% of Gen Z Britons feel they have to work harder than their parents did at their age
As part of a major study for The Times, YouGov has conducted research into the lives and attitudes of Generation Z. Gen Z are the generation born between 1997 and 2012, although our survey only comprised those of adult age at the time of the study, i.e. 18-27 year olds.
For a long time, one of the central features of generational differences was the expectation that children would enjoy a greater standard of living than their parents, thanks to technological, social and medical advances.
But Gen Z are pessimistic that this social bargain has extended to them, tending to feel they are worse off than their parents were when they were young adults. Just 15% of Gen Z Britons feel they have greater financial security than their parents did at their age, compared to 43% who feel they are less financially secure.
Similarly, half of 18-27 year olds (51%) feel they are less happy than their parents were aged 18-27, roughly double the 24% who believe they are happier.
The 43% of Gen Z Britons who feel their early career opportunities are worse than their parents also outnumbers the 30% who feel they’ve had it better.
Gen Z are less pessimistic when imagining what their situation will be at their parents’ current age. Just 20% of 18-27 year olds believe they will be less happy than their parents by the time they are that old, with 31% expecting to be as happy as their parents are and 25% anticipating they’ll be happier than their parents.
Nonetheless, 37% of Gen Z Britons believe they will still be in a worse financial situation than their parents, more than the 29% who expect to be better off than their parents.
Gen Z Britons believe they have to work harder than their parents
Six in ten Gen Z Britons (61%) believe their generation have to work harder to achieve the same thing, compared to just 9% who feel such a statement applies more to their parents’ generation.
But while they might believe they have to work harder, Gen Z also tend to see their generation as taking luxuries for granted, with 44% of 18-27 year olds saying such a description is more true of their age group, relative to 17% who feel it is a better description of their parents’ cohort.
Gen Z are divided on which generation had more opportunities, with 34% believing that they did and 37% feeling that their parents’ age group did.
And while Gen Z are more likely to see their generation as lazy (32% vs 6%) and tend to feel their parents’ generation better understands hardship (13% vs 27%), on both statements around half (49-52%) feel that such a statement either applies to both generations equally or does not apply to either.
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Photo: Getty
