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There\u2019s a growing cohort of Gen-Zers who are rejecting life\u2019s major milestones and becoming NEETs\u2014that is, \u201cnot in employment, education, or training\u201d. Many of them are college-educated men.<\/p>\n
One in five young people around the world are currently NEETs, according to the International Labour Organization<\/a>. In the U.S., this jumps to about 11.2% of young adults. Meanwhile in the U.K., almost 3 million Gen-Zers<\/a> are now classed as economically inactive.<\/p>\n Now, new research has shown that male Gen Z grads are more likely than women to be among those opting not to work or get some form of qualification.<\/p>\n Despite having just graduated, 1 in 5 men under the age of 25 are unemployed, Bloomberg\u2019s<\/em> analysis<\/a> shows. And they\u2019re not actively looking for work, either.<\/p>\n While the share of Gen Z female college grads participating in the workforce has steadily increased, the participation rate for their male counterparts has nose-dived.<\/p>\n The class of 2023 and 2024 are confronting a tougher job market than those who graduated during The Great Resignation when hiring rates and wages hit a record high<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a trend that Lewis Maleh, CEO of the global recruitment agency, Bentley Lewis has witnessed too. While young college-educated women are making do by widening their job search, Maleh has seen their male counterparts try to wait it out.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen tend to be more flexible in accepting job offers, even if they\u2019re not perfectly aligned with their career goals or are part-time or they are overqualified for,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cMen, on the other hand, often hold out for roles that align more closely with their ideal career path or offer what they perceive as adequate compensation and status.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Some male candidates have been airing their frustrations that the few jobs available right now don\u2019t match their expectations, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhereas, female candidates often discuss strategies for making the best of available opportunities, focusing on skill development and networking even in less than ideal roles.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Essentially, it\u2019s not that young men don\u2019t want to work\u2014it\u2019s that they want the right type<\/em> of work.<\/p>\n Another factor that comes into play, Maleh adds, is that men no longer have the upper hand in certain sectors that they once dominated.\u00a0<\/p>\n For years, male students have enjoyed more lucrative roles straight out of university thanks to their majors: A Bankrate study published in September 2023 found that men accounted for almost 4 out of every 5<\/a> graduates with bachelor\u2019s degrees in the 20 highest-paying fields.<\/p>\n However, male-dominated industries like technology and finance are currently experiencing mass layoffs<\/a> and grad program slowdowns<\/a>, as they correct for over-hiring during the pandemic and the economic uncertainty that followed.<\/p>\n It perhaps explains why men have \u201csky-high expectations,\u201d Conor Hughes a HR consultant echoes.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want that dream job title, the perfect culture fit, and a supreme compensation package right out of the gate,\u201d he explains. \u201cInstead of being open to decent opportunities as stepping stones, a lot of them would rather ride the unemployment wave while holding out for that unicorn role.\u201d<\/p>\n Afterall, that\u2019s what they\u2019ve seen their predecessors enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis shift might make men more selective or hesitant, waiting for roles that match their expectations or past norms, which could lead to longer periods of unemployment,\u201d Maleh agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an underlying narrative, often unspoken, about what constitutes \u2018acceptable\u2019 work for men,\u201d Maleh concludes, adding that societal pressure for men to be breadwinners deters them from taking what they might view as \u2018lesser\u2019 jobs\u2014even temporarily.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy aren\u2019t male Gen Z grads working?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Men have lost the upper hand<\/h2>\n
\u2018Holding out for that unicorn role\u2019<\/h2>\n
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