The U.S. labor market is unusually tight, with limited hiring and firing prompting many office workers to reconsider their careers. A 2025 Flexjobs report found 62% of white-collar workers would switch to trade jobs for better stability and pay, while others aim to start businesses, retire early, move abroad, or take career breaks. Younger generations, especially Gen Z and Millennials, feel unprepared by education and training for the workforce.
No longer do younger Americans turn to mom or dad to help set up their 401(k), understand their paycheck, or get investment advice-that's because AI has become their new financial friend. While AI has taken on roles ranging from break-up coach to health expert, tools like Open AI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini are now guiding younger generations to tackle their financial woes, from credit card debt to picking their latest stocks and ETFs.
The girls' trip was perfect: Samantha Stobo and her best friend spent two weeks in Italy drinking wine, suntanning, driving a convertible down the coast of Puglia. But there was one part of la dolce vita the 32-year-old never warmed up to: long, late, lazy dinners that rarely began before 8pm and stretched well past 10. I am such an early eater, Stobo said. Back home in Miami, her ideal dinner time is 5.30; she simply can't wait much later.
However, despite all the planning and crafting of email messages, 31% of consumers delete emails within seconds, basing their decision on the subject line, according to data from Validity. The issue of quick deletions is especially prevalent among Millennials and Gen Z. The sheer volume of email is part of the problem. Validity says global email volumes (for legitimate, permission-based emails) have doubled since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in early 2020, when brands were throwing everything they had at digital channels.