A recent study conducted by the American organization Monitoring the Future has revealed that millennials are the most hardworking generation. The survey involved 50,000 students in the
American equivalent of Year 9, Year 11, and sixth form annually since 1975.
Participants were asked about their perception of the willingness of 18-year-olds to work overtime. The findings were unexpected, as the percentage of young people expressing a readiness to work longer hours experienced a decline until 2009-10, when it started to rise significantly.
However, between 2020 and 2022, there was a noticeable drop in the number of individuals willing to work overtime, decreasing from 54 percent to 36 percent.
Similar patterns were observed in responses to questions about whether work is a central part of life and if individuals would work even if they didn't require the additional income.
Dr. Jean Twenge, who analyzed the data, commented on the findings, stating, "There is some truth to the idea that, when they were young at least, millennials were more work-oriented compared to those who came before and after."
She further explained that Generation Z has benefited from a robust job market and labor shortages, allowing them to seek a better work-life balance. Twenge emphasized that this shift is also rooted in the psychology of the generation, as they are not afraid to voice their priorities.
Discussing the broader cultural trends, Twenge pointed out that blaming a specific generation for societal changes is counterproductive. She highlighted the importance of recognizing that cultural shifts affect all generations and that attributing faults to a particular group impedes progress.
In addressing the common narrative blaming baby boomers for economic disparities, Twenge emphasized that it is not accurate to accuse one generation of rigging the economy or creating all the challenges faced by subsequent generations. She urged against generalizations and emphasized the need for a more nuanced understanding of intergenerational dynamics. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.