?For young people in the workplace, burnout is all too common — and hopelessness about career prospects seems to be the culprit. For Gen Z and millennials, work, if available, is demanding with little promise of advancement or meaningful rewards. Hope has become rare for young workers, according to Fortune, leading to a burnout crisis amid an uncertain global economic landscape.

Older generations may have had it easier, with most securing jobs immediately after school — and promptly, a house and a car. In contrast, newer generations struggle to find full-time jobs a year after graduation. According to Kickresume, over half of last year’s graduates are still job hunting. Full-time employment for fresh graduates has dropped to just 12% from earlier graduates’ 40%. While housing costs jumped 121% between 1960 and 2017, median household incomes only rose 29%. The result? About 87% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials cannot afford to buy their first home.

To add fuel to the fire, the growing physical distance between people is leading to fewer connections. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report notes that about 22% of staffers under 35 experience loneliness, and only 31% would describe themselves as “thriving.” Millennials are going through an especially difficult time, handling the most responsibilities out of all generations, with burnout affecting some 66%. They’re navigating more challenging work environments, competitive job markets, and the constant pressure to always stay online and available. Known as the “sandwich generation,” they’re often tasked with caring for both children and elders.

Circumstances are stacked against young adults. As Fortune explains, young people face “a sense of powerlessness” in the face of global crises like climate change, political chaos, an unpredictable economy, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and international conflicts. These events alone have caused depression and anxiety among young adults, with nearly half of those aged 18-25 feeling emotionally impacted by an overwhelming “sense that things are falling apart,” according to research (pdf) from Harvard.

The newer generations have lost faith in institutions, seeing as unlike previous generations, they cannot reap the rewards of their labor. Millennials and Gen Z no longer depend on work to achieve their dreams or enjoy happy, comfortable lives. Traits that permeate work culture today — hierarchies, inequality, discrimination, and toxic environments — have eroded young adults’ trust in their career prospects.

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