Unemployment and Work

New research from the Burning Glass Institute paints a troubling picture for Gen Z grads: rising unemployment, vanishing entry-level jobs, and a college degree that no longer guarantees career opportunity.

But here's the question I can't stop asking:

What if Gen Z isn't unemployed — what if they're just working differently?

The data in No Country for Young Grads assumes that “real” employment = one full-time, long-term job. But in my work across education and industry — and in my latest white paper — I see something else entirely:

Gen Z is building portfolio careers — stitching together fractional roles, freelance projects, side hustles, and part-time jobs that offer them:
✅ Flexibility
✅ Purpose
✅ Balance
✅ Growth

If you need evidence look no further then right here on LinkedIn.

They aren’t rejecting work — they’re rejecting the format of work we keep trying to hand them.

So when we say they’re “underemployed,” what we often mean is they’ve chosen variety over verticals. When we say they’re “hard to retain,” maybe we mean they want more than just a paycheck.

Here’s the real risk: if we keep measuring Gen Z by 20th-century definitions of employment, we’ll keep misunderstanding — and underestimating — their potential.

We’re not seeing a workforce crisis.

We’re seeing a workforce evolution.

That’s why I wrote:
Fractional Employment and Gen Z: Aligning an Emerging Work Trend with New Workforce Expectations

Download it here

It’s time to reframe the narrative. Gen Z isn’t waiting for the future of work — they’re already living it.

hashtag#GenZ hashtag#FutureOfWork hashtag#FractionalEmployment hashtag#WorkforceDevelopment hashtag#Hiring hashtag#Leadership hashtag#EducationToEmployment hashtag#JeffUtecht