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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

The end of job loyalty? A third of Gen Z plan to leave their first job in a year or less

Following news that only half of university leavers find a graduate level job within six months of getting their degree, new research has revealed that Generation Z are unlikely to continue working in their first job for a very long time.

Nearly a third of young workers (30%) only plan to stay in their first job for just 12 months or less, according to a study by Powwownow.

The research found that men are the most likely to leave their first job quickly and aspire to run their own business, whereas women are the most likely to remain in their first job for longer and anticipate working for a large organisation in the coming years.

With men being more keen to jump ship quickly, over a third (37%) expect to look for a new job after a year, compared to a quarter (24%) of women.

Women are the most likely to favour longevity in their first job role, with a quarter (25%) looking to stay in that role for five years or more, compared to less than a fifth of men (15%).

Looking to the future, one in five Generation Z employees said they could see themselves running their own business in five years’ time, with 23 per cent of men compared to just one in six women (16%) expecting to be their own boss. Instead, a third of women (31%) expect to be working for a large organisation in five years’ time.

Recent figures have suggested a third of graduates earn less than £20,000 six months after leaving university, therefore it is no surprise that salary topped Generation Z’s list of the most important factors in the workplace. Nearly two thirds (64%) of Generation Z consider salary to be important, followed by job security (57%), while the availability of flexible working (49%) was the third most important factor. Progression (45%) and training (42%) were also significant.

Jason Downes, MD of Powwownow and Founder of the Smarter Working Initiative, said: “If organisations wish to attract and retain young talent, they need to look at what Generation Z want and expect from their careers. Generation Z need the tools and opportunities to grow and progress whilst maintaining a positive work-life balance – which is something firms need to support if they plan to have them help grow their business.”