While it continues facing workplace stereotypes of laziness, Generation Z has emerged as the loneliest age demographic on the job, a new study finds.
Roughly 38 percent of Gen Zers reported feeling lonely on the job, higher than any other age demographic, according to a report from food tech workplace platform ezCater.
Why It Matters
Gen Z has dealt with its fair share of challenges in the workforce. A recent report from Intelligent.com found companies were rapidly firing Gen Z employees just months after hiring them.
One in six businesses said they were hesitant to hire recent college graduates, and six in 10 employers had already fired college graduates who were hired that year.
A mismatch between Gen Z and workplace culture and expectations may be leading to higher rates of loneliness at work, prompting high turnover and reduced productivity.
What To Know
While 80 percent of surveyed employees said having friends at work makes them feel more engaged, only 43 percent of remote employees had a close work friend, according to the ezCater survey of 1,000 employees.
That marked a substantial difference to the 69 percent of on-site and hybrid workers who had a close friend at work.
This was heightened among Gen Z employees, of which 38 percent reported being lonely at work.
“With remote work and empty offices becoming more common, it’s no surprise that many young professionals feel isolated,” Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. “The modern workforce is still adjusting to hybrid and remote models, and with frequent job-hopping, it’s harder to build lasting relationships. Gen Z in particular has more mobility—both professionally and geographically—often without the traditional anchors of family or long-term commitments.”
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll said the workplace reality Gen Z faces looks significantly different from that of previous generations.
“Older generations had real mentorship, face time, after-work drinks. Gen Z got calendar invites and ‘per my last email,’” Driscoll told Newsweek. “We told them to hustle, compete, and keep it professional and now we’re surprised they feel isolated?”
“This isn’t a Gen Z problem. It’s a workplace and societal design failure.”
Across the Gen Z cohort, which includes adults age 18 to 28, 56 percent expected their company to provide opportunities for socializing, and 85 percent said having friends at work makes them feel more engaged.
“The narrative shouldn’t be about forcing people back to their desks, but about building a destination where they want to be,” Robert Kaskel, vice president of people at ezCater, said in the report. “For example, offering a food program does more than just ensure folks eat. It encourages collaboration, strengthens team bonds, and shows employees they are valued. For companies struggling with engagement, it’s the most direct path to building a vibrant workplace experience.”
What People Are Saying
Kaskel added in the report: “Companies are telling employees to come back, but they’re missing the ‘why.’ Our data clearly shows that today’s office is an opportunity for connection, not just independent work. The younger generation of workers crave better perks and friendship. Employees with friends at work are considerably more engaged, so it’s in companies’ best interest to create an environment that fosters socialization.”
Thompson also told Newsweek: “Longer-term, this could reshape how companies think about workplace culture. How this impacts mental health, retention and productivity is still to be seen. Companies will need to create an environment where people want to stay versus having such high turnover, possibly with more competitive wages or compensation packages.”
Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “When you consider all of the economic pressures Gen Z is facing, it’s easy to see why loneliness is weighing on them. Entry level jobs have been subject to layoffs, and the labor market is at a difficult time for most younger Americans. When your professional opportunities are dim, you’re dealing with rising costs, and social media exposes you to many who aren’t facing those concerns, you can easily fall into feelings of loneliness.”
Driscoll also told Newsweek: “Of course Gen Z is the loneliest generation at work. They were thrown into the workforce during a pandemic, onboarded over Zoom, and told that Slack threads count as culture. It’s not that they don’t want connection, it’s that employers never gave them the tools or space to build it.”
What Happens Next
Heightened feelings of loneliness among Gen Zers could have significant mental health consequences, Beene said, but the younger generation has also shown more interest in seeking out therapy.
“We’re already seeing the ramifications of this, as more demand for mental health services is common nationwide,” he said. “The good news is while Gen Z may be lonelier, they are more likely to reach for help than prior generations. The hope is as they receive help, and their personal and financial outlooks improve, they’ll struggle less.”
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