Gen Z: Unemployable, or our strongest asset?

A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece caught my eye: Is Gen Z Unemployable? It argued that Gen Z’s values often clash with those of hiring managers, contributing to the generation’s declining employment prospects. But I see a more complex picture emerging.

Around the world, young people are launching their careers amid extraordinary change. They are the most digitally fluent generation in history, yet many are struggling to find their footing in a labour market being reshaped by AI automation.

In April 2025, the OECD reported youth unemployment to be more than double the rate for older workers. The 2025 global NEET rate (youth not in employment, education, or training) accounts for one in four young people, with staggering disparities across regions. And this challenge is accelerating. A recent Guardian survey of 850 business leaders across seven countries found that 41% believe AI is allowing them to cut staff, while 25% say entry-level tasks could soon be performed primarily by AI.

What’s really behind the disruptions in entry-level hiring? While hiring is slowing, we’re witnessing a generational shift in how work is defined, talent is developed and value is created. This moment isn’t just a jobs crisis — it’s a once-in-a-generation chance for leaders to reimagine how human ingenuity and intelligent technology co-evolve.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 Report, employers expect nearly 40% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030 — a clear signal that investing in adaptable, future-ready talent is no longer optional but essential to sustained growth.

Young people today live in a productive tension — caught between optimism for what’s ahead and uncertainty about their place in it. According to a 2025 Gallup study, nearly half of Gen Z (47%) use generative AI weekly, yet four in 10 report feeling anxious about how it might affect their careers.

At the same time, the 2025 Deloitte Global Gen Z & Millennial Survey, spanning 23,000 respondents across 44 countries, found that three-quarters expect generative AI to reshape their work within the next year and are actively preparing by engaging in self-directed learning and upskilling outside of work.

That readiness extends beyond technical skills. In a global Tallo survey, when asked which soft skill they honed most during the pandemic, 46% of Gen Z named adaptability — a powerful reminder that this generation has already been stress-tested by uncertainty and emerged more agile. This duality, anxiety that sharpens urgency, and ambition that drives progress, is powerful. The challenge for leaders is to channel this energy into opportunity.

Too often, AI is seen as a cost-saving tool. As Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson has noted, automating existing tasks “can save money, but it doesn’t really create anything new.” The real value comes from extending human capabilities, encouraging businesses to grow, hire and innovate.

Boston Consulting Group’s 10-20-70 rule offers a valuable lens: In successful AI transformations, organizations focus only 10% of efforts on algorithms, 20% on technology infrastructure, and 70% on people and process change. The takeaway is clear — true transformation isn’t powered by code, but by culture. Here lies the paradox: Cutting younger workers may yield short-term productivity, but it strips companies of the digital fluency, cultural intelligence and entrepreneurial boldness that Gen Z brings.

The leaders who will win in this era are those who recognize that the youngest people in the room are often the most fluent in emerging technologies — testing generative AI, shaping new digital narratives and rethinking how organizations connect with audiences. Their openness to experimentation makes them natural catalysts for change.

PwC’s latest Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey indicated only 20% of senior executives and 17% of managers use generative AI daily, compared with 82% of young leaders between 22 and 39. By creating formal reverse mentorship flows into our organizations, we can flip hierarchy structures into learning communities, ensuring innovation flows in both directions.

As Boston Consulting Group has argued, “winning with AI is a sociological challenge as much as a technological one.” Infrastructure and algorithms matter, but success depends on culture, mentorship and adaptability.

Young people are often first movers in popularizing new tools and trends across generations — from smartphones to enterprise AI. In our own organization, they are consistently the first to adopt new platforms and training opportunities, shaping execution and how we imagine the future of work.

Research conducted by Cornell University confirms that complementary effects of AI are up to 1.7x larger than substitution effects — meaning people and machines working together outperform replacement strategies. No surprise, then, that the World Economic Forum reports 85% of employers plan to prioritize upskilling.

With roughly 50 million Gen Z employees already in the workforce — on track to represent 30% of all workers by 2030 — this is not a generation to observe from the sidelines. The way we hire, mentor and empower Gen Z today will determine whether our organizations evolve with the future or fall behind it.

As leaders race to embed AI, the competitive edge will not go to those who simply automate. It will go to those who hire for adaptability and curiosity, integrate Gen Z into their collaborative workforces, and pair rapid technological advancement with mentorship.

Companies like Meta already recruit AI-savvy young people directly from schools — we should take note. We are increasing our hiring of young people, and I firmly believe that if we empower the next generation, they will lead us into what’s next.