Gen Z Set to Outnumber Boomers in Workforce

Well, it’s official. By the end of 2024, Gen Z is set to outnumber Baby Boomers in the workforce, per CBS News and an Axios report from late 2023. As this shift takes place, we should prepare to see workplace culture gradually shift along with it. 

After all, Gen Z views work much differently than previous generations do. It is Gen Z, for instance, who has popularized the movement of “quiet quitting,” which is a fairly cynical initiative that encourages young people to cease working hard for the benefit of bosses who don’t care about them and instead only put in the bare minimum of effort required to get by. 

Dave Ramsey personality Ken Coleman, a radio host who specializes on the topic of work, has discussed at length Gen Z’s philosophy on work, stating that they are much less likely than previous generations to place their identity in their career and much more likely to seek a healthy work/life balance. 

Some employers, as discussed by the Daily Wire’s Brett Cooper on her show The Comments Section, are wary of hiring Gen Zers altogether because of an alleged attitude of laziness and entitlement. Meanwhile, other individuals such as the aforementioned Ken Coleman are relatively enthusiastic on Gen Z’s potential in the workforce, saying that if they have a job or cause they care about, they are uniquely effective, passionate, and creative workers. 

Essentially, Gen Z, like any other generation, brings distinct strengths and weaknesses with them into the workforce. The purpose of this article is not to criticize or praise them–it is merely pointing out a reality. If you’re not working with a Gen Zer now, you almost certainly will be soon. And they will likely see things differently than you do. 

You may be wondering why this matters. Fair enough. Let’s talk about more metrics pertaining to Gen Z: according to the Survey Center on American Life, a full third of Gen Z identify themselves as “religiously unaffiliated.” Many other studies report similar results, and I believe the actual number is probably much larger. 

Even as far back as 2018, Gen Z has been far less interested in Christianity (or any other faith, for that matter) than most generations prior to them, with only four percent of them having “a biblical worldview,” as reported by Impact 360 Institute. 

This is a spiritually lost generation, searching for purpose and meaning anywhere they might find it. And guess what? These lost people are entering your workspace in droves. They will probably outnumber you soon. 

You will soon be working with members of this hurting generation every day of your life. I see this as an opportunity for mission. 

Pay attention, then, to the relationships God has placed in your work life. These young people are hungry for an encounter with genuine Christianity. They desperately need to experience the love of Christ. 

So how are you acting in your day-to-day life at work? Believe me, they’re watching–and they’re taking notes. Are you demonstrating an attitude of grace toward them, even when they bring in strange new ideas and attitudes you find irreverent or obnoxious? If they work under you, are you demanding and rude, or are you understanding and thoughtful? 

Are you letting generational differences in work philosophy fill you with resentment and then treating them with contempt? 

You can’t control what they do. But remember, you control how you act. Choose to build them up, build relationship, and thereby build God’s Kingdom.

Be ready. The harvest field is coming to your workplace!