General Z’s economic reality has gone viral.
The cohort born between 1997 and 2012 is increasingly uneasy about their financial situation and records their relationships with others.
The 2025 class entered the tough job market this summer, but some members of Generation Z have adapted.
For some young Americans, the majority are entrepreneurial oriented and consider the traditional 9-to-5 schedule to be “outdated,” but unconventional jobs are the solution to ghostly employed people. Some hope to pick up multiple jobs and record them daily in Tiktok, and further monetize their routines. Others turn to platforms that help you get gig jobs like Thumbtack, Fiverr, or TaskRabbit.
“I applied to literally prefer 85 real 9-5s in all kinds of industries,” said Nola Rodgers, 22.
According to Christopher Ager, Chief Commercial Officer of TaskRabbit, the platform saw a 25% increase in sign-ups in July. While some users see these platforms as a way to get extra cash over the weekend, Rogers and others use it as a launch pad for entrepreneurship and escape the 9-on-5 rat race.
“Young adults are rewriting work rules and embracing side jobs as a sustainable and powerful alternative,” Ager told USA Today.
How bad is the job market?
Earlier this year, one in five experts who were looking for jobs in 2024 were still searching, and the market was so bad they didn’t plan on finding one in 2025.
Not everyone has the luxury of staying, especially if they’ve never worked full-time in the first place. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z Z Z are likely to search for new jobs in 2025, according to a bank job seeker survey.
The Labor Bureau’s April employment report shows that 1.7 million Americans have lost their jobs for over six months, the longest in more than two years. Employers added 147,000 jobs, which led to unexpected employment in June, but only 74,000 people added to the private sector. State and local government employment accounted for much of the rest.
General Z’s Entrepreneur’s Thoughts
Rogers isn’t very interested in who hires.
She joined TaskRabbit in 2019 and earned $180,000 after starting furniture assembly, TV installation and organizing people’s homes. In 2022, she launched her own website offering similar services.
This year, she said she would bring home between $3,000 and $3,500, and about $2,000 for small businesses each month before taxes.
Without a college degree, student loan or boss, Rogers doesn’t regret going on an unconventional path compared to his peers.
“I’ve been in a workforce of four and a half years than them. They’ve been in college and already have an established business, so now I’m trying to find a job,” Rogers said. “So I’d say it worked.”
In the next five years, Rogers hopes to start making custom furniture to expand his business. And she’s not alone. A 2020 WP Engine survey found that 62% of Gen Z have plans to start or start their own business.
“I don’t want anyone to tell me how to do my job.”
Kevin Johnson, 24, is among them. Like Rogers, he started TaskRabbit in 2019, primarily helping people move. Today, he said he would make between $2,500 and $4,000 a month before tax.
It was enough for him to buy a pickup truck in cash. After finishing his associate degree, he has two goals in mind: saving for a down payment at home and opening his own car store.
“I don’t think we need a steady 9-5,” Johnson said.
Class of 2025 agrees. The Monster’s Graduate Report, released earlier this year, shows that 67% believe the 9-to-5 schedule is outdated, while 64% believe the five-day labor week is outdated. More than half of them work full-time in the office and also state that the concept of having to move to work is outdated.
Johnson likes to work for himself, saying, “I don’t want anyone to teach me how to do my job.”
Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com Follow her with x @Rachelbarber_
