Gen Z is surprisingly optimistic about career prospects: Survey

""It's not that Gen Z has confidence necessarily in the market, but they do have a confidence in their ability to adapt," Kyle M.K., Indeed's senior strategy advisor, tells Axios. "This is a group that - for a majority of their lives - they've seen a lot of disruption." "They just have a lot of confidence in themselves to plan accordingly," he adds, "especially as we go through some of this transformative change that we're seeing with AI and the economy.""

""Confident employers stand on one side of the chasm while cautious workers idle on the other," the report said. "Each is convinced they're doing their best, yet both are still missing the mark.""

""It makes sense that employers are equally trying to use AI and that the employees are worried about what that means for their skillsets and their contribution and then their livelihoods, as a result," M.K. says."

Gen Z reports high confidence in adapting to market disruption and technological change, with a 77% net positive career outlook. Millennials report a 65% positive outlook and overall 59% of job seekers feel confident about achieving career goals. Employers are more optimistic, with 85% anticipating meeting 2026 talent goals. Employers and workers exhibit a perception gap on hiring and retention. Thirty-five percent of job seekers cite AI adoption as their top concern, while 40% of employers list AI adoption as a top 2026 priority. AI contributes to cautious hiring, a "no-hire, no-fire" market, and growing gig stacking expectations.

Read at Axios