Francesca Rudkin: The story of Gen Z and their work ethic

In a podcast earlier this week, Former First Lady Michelle Obama had some wisdom for the Gen Z generation (aged between 14 and 29) when it comes to employment and their work ethic.    She said she wants Gen Z to understand that every experience, the bad boss, the boring assistant job, the job you weren’t appreciated in, the one that didn’t give you the assignment you wanted when you wanted it, all of that is teaching them to be resilient.   Why is it important to learn to endure a boring job, a bad boss or setbacks? Well, she believes Gen Z’s need for instant gratification means they aren’t getting the experiences they need to develop the skills needed to be good leaders. She feels young people today want to do what they want to do, or what they are good at, but it’s just as valuable to learn to do something they don’t want to do, and to do it well.    I think Michelle Obama has a really good point. Sometimes in a job you just have to suck it up to get the money and experience needed to help you get to where you want to be.  But I’d argue that many young people are working jobs they don’t particularly enjoy. With a 17- and 19-year-old, I see it all around me. Whether they’re high school students earning some spending cash, university students working part time to pay for their education and living costs, those who’ve been told by their parents to ‘learn or earn’, or graduates taking whatever job they can get.   I also see lots of students with work experience applying constantly for jobs and getting nowhere. So no, I don’t see a lazy generation afraid of a job they don’t like.    What we do have though is a difficult youth job market. Stats NZ figures show youth unemployment has risen substantially since 2022. The share of young people not in work, education, or training remains at its highest since the pandemic at 14.4% in the March 2026 quarter.   New Zealand's overall unemployment rate was 5.3% in March, up from the unusually low rates seen during 2022–2023 and young workers are usually the first group affected when hiring slows.    We also know entry-level and graduate jobs appear harder to obtain because competition has increased, employers are hiring more cautiously, and, if Reddit is anything to go by, employers want graduates with 1 to 3 years’ experience, even for "entry-level" jobs.    I think you’ll find most young people are taking what they can get – scarcity of jobs means being choosy isn’t an option.   Or course there will always be some who find life easier sitting on the couch and taking a benefit – there always has been.    Maybe, it’s the slightly different approach to work that irks the rest of us a little.    Gen Zs typically put more importance on work-life balance, mental health, meaningful work, and flexible working arrangements. This can be frustrating for employers, but there are plenty of middle-aged workaholics who have belatedly realised there’s real value in work-life balance.    They’re one step ahead of us on some things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.