Happy Friday to friends of the Doctors Jobs Council!

As a mother of three Gen Z teens, my ears perk up whenever I hear anything — data, anecdotes, horror stories — related to what has now become their journey into the workforce.

Generation Z entered work during the global pandemic, first a wave of remote offices, and now the rise of AI automation. In short, their “nature” was not normal at all.

For us, fortunately, all of our employees are gainfully employed today. But if there’s one universal truth about parenting, it’s that they will all inevitably face difficult periods in their lives, including job loss.

And selfishly, I want to do everything possible to get away from one reality – One day, they’ll be back on my couch, laptop open, muttering about “job hunting.” (I love you my children <3)

So, in this effort to bend future reality to my will, let’s dive into what’s really happening to Gen Z job seekers and what it means for all of us who live and breathe recruitment.

Numbers: Not terrible, but not great

Let’s start by taking a look at Gen Z unemployment data. According to uniquethe U.S. unemployment rate for workers ages 16 to 24 was approximately 10.5% in August 2025seasonally adjusted. in UKYouth unemployment has almost stabilized 11.6% in July 2025and Germany He came around 6.3% mid-year.

These numbers are not shocking, as youth unemployment is always higher. What is striking is that unemployment among Generation Z (starting with those old enough to work at age 16), in the United States at least, is on the rise.

In the 10 states (including Washington, D.C.) with the highest Gen Z unemployment rate in 2024, we see a net negative change for each from August 2025 except for D.C., which improved slightly.

Soft skills story

If you’ve spent five minutes on LinkedIn, you’ve seen it: “Gen Z can’t communicate”, “they don’t want to work”, “they quit by lunch on the second day”.

According to a mixture of research and anecdotal evidence, there is at least partial truth behind the noise. Studies from NCDA, Psychology Todayand Thrive Tech They all point to the same perpetrators.

• Digital Education: Generation Z grew up behind screens. Texting has replaced hallway conversations; Disagreement replaced summer jobs. Great for memes, not so great for reading body language.
• Impact of the epidemic: Coronavirus has halted internships, part-time gigs, and exposure to the real world at a time when they were supposed to be learning how to deal with conflict and feedback.
• Continuing remote work: Even after the pandemic, many early-career jobs remained remote, cutting off the “hearing and learning” orientation that happens in a real office.

The repercussions? Managers feel like they have become life coaches. Forbes Reports indicate that some leaders are publicly reluctant to hire Generation Z because of the time required for training in basic communication and teamwork. Others point to high employee turnover linked to misunderstandings in the workplace.

Before anyone sharpens their pitchforks, let’s remember: Every generation has been labeled unprepared by the generation before it. Generation X was lazy, Millennials were entitled, and now Generation Z is “emotionally unavailable.” It is the circle of working life and as before, they will catch up.

Build a bridge (instead of burning it)

There are actual solutions here. Companies that invest in structuring Preparation and guidance programmesthe real stuff, not a one-hour Zoom with HR you see results. Thrive Tech It highlights organizations that pair younger employees with experienced mentors for six months, teaching them not just “how to do the job” but “how to work with people.”

Generation Z isn’t helpless either. Many look for volunteer work, cross-functional projects, or side hustles specifically to hone their communication and leadership muscles (Musa).

Give them space, give them feedback, and maybe stop expecting 22-year-olds to act like 45-year-old managers. The potential is there – it just needs to be shaped – just as we all did when we were, well, whatever age we are today.

Artificial intelligence (or automation) is the elephant in the room

Now for the part that keeps me up at night: Artificial intelligence and/or automation is eating up entry-level jobs.

CNBC Entry-level hiring in the United States has reportedly declined 35% since the beginning of 2023with automation bearing much of the blame. A Stanford study Using ADP payroll data, he found that employment of 22- to 25-year-olds in AI-exposed roles such as customer service and software development has declined 13% In three years.

Why? Because the machines are now doing what the trainees used to do.

• Software development: AI writes and fixes code faster than a novice developer.
• Customer Service: Chatbots don’t take sick days or ask for benefits.
• Operations and clerical: Routine data entry, reporting, and scheduling are quietly absorbed by automation tools.

We used to say that entry-level roles are where you “pay your dues.” Now they are where you are replaced by an algorithm.

Ripple effects

Cutting entry-level jobs doesn’t just hurt individuals; It destroys the pipeline. These were the roles where future leaders honed their skills, and where companies identified the talent to be developed. Remove that layer, and suddenly you have a hollow middle with no one ready to move up.

luck It warns that eliminating entry-level jobs will leave employers struggling to build future experience. And they are right. You can’t automate institutional memory or mentoring.

Meanwhile, Generation Z is adapting in ways that might make older generations roll their eyes. Some jump straight into freelancing or freelancing. Others are abandoning traditional jobs altogether and starting small businesses online. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something new. But it raises questions about stability, benefits and long-term career growth.

Mixing skills

If AI is erasing some entry-level roles, it’s also rewriting the rules of the game for skills. Employers are already indicating that they want candidates who understand how to do this is used Artificial intelligence tools, there is no need to be afraid of them. the Harvard Business Review Others have noted that AI literacy has become as essential as Excel once was.

This creates an uncomfortable tension: Generation Z is expected to arrive with technical fluency and Soft skills they have not had much opportunity to develop. Employers want digital natives who have the personal maturity of a ten-year veteran. In other words, they want unicorns.

What happens next

The story of Generation Z is not about failure, it is about transformation and change. Their early careers have been shaped by the pandemic, transformed by AI, and scrutinized by every frustrated hiring manager on LinkedIn. But let’s remember that the same traits that frustrate older generations (questioning norms, demanding transparency, prioritizing mental health) are also the ones that may finally fix some of what’s broken at work.

Generation Z is not lazy. They are navigating a world of work that is changing faster than any generation before them. They need opportunities to build the human aspects and hard skills in their toolkit.

Employers who know how to blend mentorship, training, and technology will win. Those who continue to wait for “perfectly polished” young candidates will lose out on the very people who can help them develop.

So yes, they will need training. And yes, they will need patience. As a mother to three of them, who may no longer live under my roof, but still occupy my entire heart, I would rather bet on their ability to adapt than to downplay it.

Because if we’ve learned anything from all the generations before them, it’s this: They do things differently.

Generation Z or the economy in trouble?

Does the rising unemployment rate among Generation Z indicate a problem for the new generation entering the workforce or is this a symptom of the economy sliding into chaos?

Well, with the government shutdown still in effect, we’re all awaiting the official September jobs numbers. Meanwhile, there are definitely red lights flashing.

Some CEOs are beginning to acknowledge that middle- and low-income households are losing ground, and they will need to adjust their business strategies based on this reality.

• on CNBC“In particular, with middle- and lower-income consumers, they are feeling under a lot of pressure right now,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said. “It’s really kind of a two-tier economy,” he added.
• “There are certain groups of consumers, certainly low-income, who are feeling the pressure right now,” said Adam Reimer, Chipotle’s chief financial officer. He told Reuters. “This is something we have to take into account when looking at the price in the future.”

in The hill, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s, pointed to two separate special reports – from… Abu Dhabi Police and Revelio Laboratories — which, when averaged together, indicate that there was “essentially no job growth” last month.

Finally, a word from my (second) favorite podcast duo: In this installment of Professor G Markets, Scott and Ed delve into signs of recession and the growing gap between the rich and the rest of us. I can’t do the numbers justice – this is a must listen. I have marked the start and stop for you.

Until next time,

Julie”Document“Swash

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