Unemployment has risen sharply for workers in their late teens and 20s trying to get started in today’s job market. There are many reasons: fewer openings as companies hold back on hiring, limited turnover as older workers stay put, a lack of professional networks for young people just starting out and rapid changes in technology. What doesn’t help are the negative perceptions that employers hold about this generation — and that too many in our society have held about adolescence for far too long.
For example, a national survey found that nearly 75% of managers believe Gen Z is the most difficult generation to work with. Attitudes like these can easily become self-fulfilling. In a moment when we need every willing worker engaged, we simply can’t afford to sideline young people who are ready and eager to contribute.
