Young Americans Uniquely Gloomy About Job Prospects

Young Americans are unusually downbeat about their job prospects—and older Americans aren't sharing the mood. A new Gallup poll finds just 43% of Americans ages 15 to 34 think it's a good time to find a local job in 2025, a rate that's 21 points lower than for those 55 and up—the widest generation gap recorded anywhere in the world. Globally, it runs the other way in most countries, with younger adults more positive than older ones. The other exceptions are China, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and Norway, notes Semafor.

US youth optimism has cratered by 27 points since 2023, a drop on par with the slide seen around the 2008 financial crisis. The pessimism is sharpest among young women, highly educated young people, and those not yet in full-time work, a cohort that may be eyeing AI and automation warily. Older Americans, meanwhile, remain comparatively confident about local job markets, making the US stand out not for gloomy young people alone, but for the striking disconnect between generations.