Nearly half of Gen Z facing burnout, YSU study warns employers
OHIO, UNITED STATES — Nearly half of Gen Z workers are experiencing severe burnout, driven by the immense pressure to upskill while working full-time, according to a new study.
Research from Youngstown State University reveals that a lack of employer support and clear career paths is exacerbating this exhaustion, prompting a critical need for organizational intervention to secure the future workforce.
Gen Z struggles to balance work and education
The study found that 43% of Gen Z are currently juggling full-time jobs with additional degrees and certification programs.
The HR Digest reports that this pursuit is largely fueled by a competitive job market in which formal education is considered a necessary crutch for young workers lacking extensive industry experience.
However, managing this dual role presents serious challenges, primarily due to financial barriers. In the study, the researchers found that excessive expenses are cited as the greatest barrier to education by 76% of Gen Z employees.
This economic burden, combined with the mental and physical exhaustion from juggling various demanding activities, can lead to severe exhaustion, leaving nearly half of this population unable to continue.
Weak employer support fuels crisis
The burnout crisis is further aggravated by employers’ systematic failure to support either formal education or in-house career development.
The HR Digest recommends that “educational grants and collaborations with universities are a great way for organizations to support employees in their journey towards gaining more experience while remaining employed.”
The statistics show that their employer actively supports a small percentage (32%) of Gen Z respondents in pursuing academic goals, which may involve tuition subsidies or an alternative work schedule. The other 37% stated that their employers pay lip service to learning but take little or no action to support it.
This inadequacy further spreads to the workplace itself, where there is no apparent career growth, leading to frustration. The study found that 49% of Gen Z workers believe they experience minimal to no progress at their current place of work.
This dead end of feelings is a direct driver of turnover: 42% have already left a past workplace due to this problem, and 34% plan to go to another workplace in the next year, spelling a future retention crisis.
“Understanding Gen Z’s appreciation of mental health support systems, providing employees with avenues to address burnout can also go a long way. The sooner that Gen Z handles their burnout, the easier it will be for them to offer up maximum productivity in exchange for their work,” suggests The HR Digest, emphasizing what HR can do to help alleviate burnout amongst employees.
