As job satisfaction reaches record highs across most of the American workforce, the highest since 1987. But one generation is quietly disengaging, we will give you 3 guesses as to which one, and the first two don’t count. According to The Conference Board, while overall worker satisfaction climbed to 62.7% in 2024, satisfaction among workers under the age of 25 declined. You might be tempted to call this an outlier but the decline in satisfaction has been a constant for Gen Z. Instead, this is a change point.

Sure, it’s a worrying trend, especially for recruiters who’ve invested heavily in attracting next-gen talent. If Gen Z is already dissatisfied, retaining them and building long-term pipelines becomes a Sisyphean task.

The gains in workforce satisfaction are driven by improvements in flexible work, better wages, and stronger relationships with managers. Compensation satisfaction surpassed 60% for the first time, and job security sentiment hit new highs.

Yet Gen Z workers are reporting the opposite experience, lower satisfaction across nearly every category, from manager support to workload to organizational culture. They’re not staying long, and they’re not buying into company missions the way older generations are. This is in part because criticizing Gen Z has become a National Pastime so they tend to arrive at a job with fists up or untrusting of those around them

For recruiters, this isn’t a generational gripe, it’s a red flag.

Gen Z’s has been promised meaningful work, growth opportunities, and supportive cultures. The reality is most employers haven’t matched the pitch so an entire generation moves on.

Recruiters are on the front line of shaping that promise. If we listen to what Gen Z is telling us now, we can rewrite the story and recruit a generation that’s not just willing to work, but excited to grow.