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Generation Z vs. The Workplace [2021 Study]
We took the pulse of over 200 US Gen Zers to uncover what they expect from employers, their attitudes toward work, and more.
To quit or to be fired? That’s the question. 1000 employees open up on how they really feel about ending employment and share their experiences with changing jobs.
Whether in private or professional life, breakups are never easy.
Endless dilemmas, sleepless nights, and hopeless attempts to find a perfect way out. Humming, “Should I stay or should I go”, waiting for a sign, changing your mind a thousand times.
Sometimes it is you who makes the decision. At other times, the decision is made for you.
There are a ton of factors to consider when leaving a job. On the one hand, low pay. On the other, great colleagues. Stay for the free gym membership or leave for better job opportunities? And the ultimate question is, how should it end? Is it better to quit or get fired?
If ending employment had a Facebook relationship status, it’d be it’s complicated.
Feels relatable? No surprise. Today’s labor market is a hyper fast-changing picture. Layoffs, quitting, and job loss are everyday occurrences for millions of people.
Let’s have a look at some recent data on the topic.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker has a 1 in 4 chance of getting laid off sometime during their career. It often comes as a shock, and it hurts. Still, that’s not always the case. And it’s not the only way to end employment. Nowadays, many people rethink their careers and decide to quit.
In today's job market, quitting and losing a job have become increasingly common experiences. While facing the uncertainty and financial pressures that come with job loss or leaving a job is never easy, it may serve as an opportunity for growth and new beginnings. A blessing in disguise.
At Zety, we surveyed 1000 employees to examine:
Key findings:
But don’t quit now. Keep reading to discover what else our study revealed about termination and resignation.
To start with, we asked respondents how they left their last job
When it came to quitting, there were disparities among different demographic groups. Let’s take a closer look.
Gender: females—61% quit vs. males—52%
Age: 25 or younger—60% quit vs. 26–40—52%
Industry: education—61% quit vs. manufacturing—52%
Work experience: 11+ years—66% quit vs. 3–5 years—53%
Company size: 501+ employees—64% quit vs. 51–200 employees—54%
Political affiliation: Democrats—64% quit vs. Republicans—50%
Annual income: $25,000 and less—61% quit vs. $75,000 and greater—49%
In contrast, the only noticeable difference in experiences with being fired could be observed in answers given by different age groups.
Age: 26–40—33% were fired vs. 25 or younger—16%
Notably, Gen Z seems to be a labor market disruptor when it comes to leaving their jobs. We’ll discuss it further in the next section of the article. But for now let’s move on.
Almost 6 in 10 (58%) participants claimed they had been unemployed for more than 6 months at some point in their careers. Disparities in different demographic groups to note:
Race: ethnic minorities—64% vs. white—57%
Industry: healthcare—69% vs. business & finance—54%
Type of work: blue-collar—66% vs. white-collar—57%
Company size: 1–50—71% vs. 501+—52%
Political affiliation: Democrats—59% vs. Republicans—52%
Annual income: $25,000 and less—64% vs. $50,000–74,999—55%
It seems that bigger companies provide more stable employment and a greater number of professional opportunities. In that regard, corporations aren’t as bad as they’re made out to be.
Now let’s focus on statistics regarding first-hand experience with quitting and getting fired. We asked participants to share how many times they had quit a job or been fired.
Over the course of your working life, how many times have you quit a job?
[business & finance—21% vs. healthcare—7%]
Over the course of your working life, how many times have you been fired?
[manufacturing—23%, business & finance—22%, education—8%]
Business & finance employees win the title of the greatest job hoppers. Time to move on to detailed findings about quitting.
Quitting is gaining momentum in the labor market. Our study confirms this.
There are many reasons behind this phenomenon. In Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report”, 50% of US workers reported feeling stressed at their jobs on a daily basis, 41% being worried, 22% as sad, and 18% as angry. With growing mental health awareness, more and more people shift priorities and seek work-life balance. They look for new professional opportunities, which leads to resignations.
Also, new generations bring new rules to the labor market table. Gen Zers are courageous, demanding, and want to work for a higher cause. They place a great emphasis on purpose-driven work and a good work-life balance. Generation Z employees value flexibility, growth, and promotion opportunities.
Paychex's study on juggling multiple jobs revealed that while 40% of workers overall currently have multiple jobs, this number rises to almost half of Gen Zers. A full 47% hold down three or more jobs.
Here we go. Well, it’s way easier to quit one job if you have another up your sleeve. For Gen Zers, jobs come and go, but their career is here to stay.
Let’s move on to emotions related to quitting.
When asked, “How did quitting a job make you feel?”, participants answered as follows:
[working remotely—62%, blue-collar—56%, ethnic minorities—55%, company with 1–50 employees—55%]
[business & finance—31%; 1–2 years of work experience—30%]
Also, a full 62% claimed quitting a job had made them feel proud. The percentage was even higher for ethnic minority participants (77%).
Taking control can be empowering.
Here are some more research findings worth mentioning:
We also asked participants if quitting a job had turned out to be good for their careers. A full 67% agreed, 24% disagreed, and 9% were unsure.
But what about when the shoe is on the other foot? How do people feel about being shown the door? That’s what we explored next.
Let’s reflect on how it feels to lose a job.
Unfortunately, joy was not the only emotion experienced by participants when they lost their job.
On a positive note, a full 64% of participants believed that this layoff had turned out to be good for their careers.
All's well that ends well. But which is better, termination or resignation?
Time for the big question: to quit or to be fired?
51% of respondents considered quitting as a better way of ending employment. 31% preferred getting fired, while 18% rated them the same.
No surprise. We all know the breakup rules. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
We also asked which form of ending employment our respondents believed was more common. 47% picked quitting, and 22% chose getting fired. At the same time, 31% viewed both of these options as equally common.
Accurate assumptions. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in JOLTs summary from April 2023, quits (4.0 million) edged up, while layoffs and discharges (1.5 million) decreased.
Let’s move on to job loss-related emotions now.
Job loss. The sum of all fears. Let’s see what emotions being fired evokes.
Digging deeper—
Better dead than unemployed? Disturbing, to put it mildly.
Interestingly, participants with work experience of over 11 years tended to be more job loss-related fear resistant than others. A full 42% declared getting fired did not scare them more than death. The longer you work, the less you care? Or maybe the “older–wiser” rule applies?
And what emotions are associated with job loss? We asked respondents how getting fired would make them feel.
How sad.
You’re more than your job. Don’t even question it.
Time to focus on reasons for quitting a job. What makes us resign? Do we wait for the last straw? Is quitting a job a decision made on a whim? Or is it a result of long-term consideration? Let's find out.
We asked participants to share what would make them quit their job.
I would quit a job if… [% of somewhat agree/strongly agree]
[ethnic minorities—87%]
[healthcare industry—86%]
[healthcare industry—78%]
[6–10 years of work experience—74%; master’s degree holders—74%]
[manufacturing industry—73%]
[education industry—71%, ethnic minorities—67%]
[education industry—72%]
Low pay, a better job offer, and a lack of career advancement opportunities are on the podium. Employers take note. The best investment is in human potential.
Let’s move on. We also gave respondents the opportunity to share more reasons why they would quit a job. These included the following:
Time to change the perspective and focus on what’s behind the termination of employment. We asked participants what they considered good reasons to fire someone.
If I were an employer, I would fire an employee who… [% of somewhat agree/strongly agree]
[11+ years of work experience—87%]
[manufacturing industry—82%; master’s degree holders—79%]
[11+ years of work experience—82%; manufacturing industry—81%; master’s degree holders—81%]
[education industry—78%; master’s degree holders—78%]
[ethnic minorities—77%]
[healthcare industry—74%]
Professionalism, teamwork skills, promptness, and the ability to learn from one’s mistakes are desirable in different careers and across industries. At the same time, research participants unanimously agreed that intoxication and work don’t mix. Sober is safer. Both on the roads and in the labor market.
When asked to provide some more reasons for getting fired, respondents named:
So you can minimize your chances of being fired by being honest, acting ethically, and staying productive. As simple as that.
Whether you experience termination or resignation, remember every ending is just a new beginning. Find the courage to fight for a better professional future. As job satisfaction goes hand in hand with overall well-being, employment goes way beyond making ends meet.
The moment is now. May your efforts be rewarded.
The findings presented were obtained by surveying 990 respondents online via a bespoke polling tool. They were asked questions about different forms of ending employment. These included yes/no questions, scale-based questions relating to levels of agreement with a statement, questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of potential answers, and a question that permitted open responses. All respondents included in the study passed an attention-check question.
The data we are presenting relies on self-reports from respondents. Everyone who took our survey read and responded to each question without any research administration or interference. We acknowledge there are many potential issues with self-reported data, like selective memory, telescoping, attribution, or exaggeration.
Want to share the findings of our research? Go ahead. Feel free to use our images and information wherever you wish. Just link back to this page, please—it will let other readers get deeper into the topic. Additionally, remember to use this content exclusively for non-commercial purposes.
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