Generation Z faces stiff competition entering the workforce during the ongoing recovery from the Great Recession that could take over a decade to overcome. They will likely find jobs in healthcare, IT, leisure and hospitality, but higher education is increasingly necessary and saddles many with debt. As the first "always connected" generation, technology and social media are integral to Generation Z's lifestyle, but this connectivity can enable sedentary habits and obesity while civic engagement may decline. Solutions are needed to empower this generation.

1. GEN Z

2. What they face this
year end?
As they begin to enter
the workforce,
Generation Z entrants
face stiff competition
along with the
likelihood that it will
take a decade or more
to recover lost earning
power from having
entered the job market
during the Great
Recession

3. • They will likely find employment in sectors like
healthcare, information technology, leisure
and hospitality.
• More jobs will require at least some higher
education, and be dependent on 21st century
skills, such as abilities to think creatively,
communicate effectively and work in
teams. However, higher education costs are
skyrocketing, saddling many students with debt
for years after graduation and reducing their
overall buying power and quality of life.

4. • It is certain that connectivity
will be an integral part of the
Generation Z lifestyle. As
history’s first “always
connected” generation, they
are steeped in digital
technology and social media.
They communicate openly with
each other through text
messages, blogs, and tweets.
New technology provides more
than a new avenue for social
interaction; it creates a
bottomless source of
information and entertainment.

5. • This kind of connectivity also creates an
opportunity for the business world. Businesses can
be instantly connected with one another at any
point in the day from anywhere in the world — all
an employee has to do is open a laptop or
computer. This technology is shaping the
workplace as well. For example, the Best
Buy headquarters has shifted its working schedule
to a “result only work environment”where
employees can come at any time or work from
anywhere so long as their work is completed. This
kind of environment exemplifies the work
atmosphere desired by these youth, a generation
constantly connected in every aspect of life

6. • Such connectedness has a dark side, however,
contributing to a sedentary lifestyle and
skyrocketing rates of obesity. This generation may
live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents
despite the medical advances of the last twenty
years. Of 100 Generation Z kids, 47 will be obese
by the time they reach adulthood. In a time of
shrinking family budgets, the cheapest food
options remain the unhealthiest and the access to
safe and attractive places for physical activity are
limited for children living in poverty.

7. • Even as Generation Z members are so highly
connected, they also appear to be less inclined
toward civic engagement than earlier
generations when it comes to voting and to
participating in their communities. This could
lead to deficiencies in leadership, as fewer
people choose to enter into civil service or run
for elected office.

8. • At IEI, we work hard to find solutions to these
challenges that face Generation Z. During the
2011 Emerging Issues Forum, Investing in
Generation Z, individuals from across the state
came together to brainstorm and began to
develop ways to empower this generation, and
Generation Z Ambassadors came up with three
projects they wanted to pursue. Learn more about
their ideas here and see our Gen Z Taking
Action page for information on how you can help
support these youth.