Step aside, hustle culture: Gen Z wants stress-free jobs, without big responsibilities or regular overtime

Instead, they’re eyeing easygoing jobs that don’t require regular overtime, antisocial working hours or substantial responsibilities like managing a large team. 

As a result, the job site Adzuna has seen a surge in interest for positions with more perceived flexibility and less stress but an above-average salary, such as administrative roles. 

Clicks for legal administrator ads were up by over 520% in the first half of 2023 compared with the second half of 2022. Meanwhile, office administrator ad clicks were up 131% in that period and interest in SEO analyst roles rose by 113%.

In comparison, roles in the field of medicine – which is known for its long hours and high-stress environment – have lost their appeal among job hunters. 

Clicks on medical receptionist jobs were down 95% in the period, dental hygienist clicks dropped by 35% and sonographer roles saw a 5% dip in interest. 

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of job search engine Adzuna said that the findings “reflect that prioritizing work-life balance is no longer just a mantra for job seekers, it’s a must-have.”

“Work-life balance is something Gen Z won’t compromise on, even in the face of a slower jobs market and economic uncertainty – and that’s in part because burnout is increasingly prolific among younger workers,” he told Fortune.

The appetite for stress-free entry-level jobs comes hot off the heels of various TikTok-led trends encouraging workers to “quiet quit”, take on a “lazy girl job” and manifest their best lives instead of actually working for it. And it’s a global phenomenon. 

Just last month, one recruiter in India was left shocked after interviewing a young job seeker who said that he was looking for work-life balance (which tips heavily on the side of life). His list of prerequisites for a new job included working no more than 5 hours a day, specifically at a startup, and for no less than 50,000 Indian rupees for his brief time on the job. 

At around $600 that might not sound like much, but it’s more than eight times the average monthly salary for an Indian Gen Zer. According to Forbes, a 24-year-old should expect to only earn around INR 5,905 a month.

A tale of two worlds 

Previous research has suggested that Gen Zers are actually driving hustle culture by ‘polyworking’ with one study finding that a staggering 93% of Gen Zers are holding down multiple gigs because holding down just one job doesn’t pay enough.

Indeed it is possible, that both the above and Adzuna’s findings could be correct: Gen Zers struggling to make ends meet may be seeking out easygoing and flexible jobs to make working multiple gigs less strenuous. 

Without a tiresome commute or the risk of your job spilling into overtime, getting from one role to another is as easy as signing into your computer for your second (or third) shift of the day.

Alternatively, the contrasting data could point to a class divide.

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that there’s a tale of two worlds when it comes to Gen Z workers: those who are posting their 5 a.m. morning routines on TikTok and holding down multiple jobs, and others who are embracing “lazy girl jobs”, calling out capitalism for the toll it takes on their mental health, and walking out on jobs that don’t conform to their expectations.

The difference between the divided cohort is “privilege,” Lewis Maleh, CEO of the global executive recruitment agency Bentley Lewis previously told Fortune.

He lamented that he sees hardworking Gen Zers get a bad rep because of a small group of unrealistic workers. “I know a lot of younger folks that are working their ass off,” he insisted. “That gets derailed by people who are saying, I’m going to do five hours’ work and get paid a million pounds.”