Young Workers Eye the Exit as Burnout and Low Pay Bite

Young Americans are fed up and ready to bolt from their jobs, driven by burnout and skimpy paychecks, according to a new survey from Talker Research. The poll of 2,000 employed folks, shared via StudyFinds, showed 73% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials are hunting for new gigs or careers, compared to 51% of Gen X and 33% of baby boomers.

Burnout’s hitting hard, with 68% of Gen Z and 61% of millennials feeling fried, against 47% of Gen X and 30% of boomers. The culprits? Repetitive tasks (33%), rising job demands without pay bumps (23%), and work that feels ignored (23%). Toxic workplaces aren’t helping, either. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported working while sick, 31% skip lunch, and 47% blame their stress on coworkers. They also blamed negativity (32%) and rigid rules (40%) as workplace morale tankers.

This negative, stressful vibe is killing in-office effort, with 36% of burned-out workers admitting to doing the bare minimum. Stressors include heavy workloads (46%), goal-hitting pressure (34%), and after-hours pings (32%) from managers and colleagues, which forces workers to feel like they must always be "on," even during their downtime. Worse still, 67% saw staff cuts last year, and 58% fret about job security. Financially, 74% live paycheck to paycheck, further compounding their stress levels.

So, what’s the fix? Better pay and compensation packages (58%), flexible hours and work arrangements (48%), and no after-hours emails or messages (43%) top the list. Meanwhile, 46% consider the career support they receive to be average, while 8% said the workplace support they receive for career advancement has been awful, leaving only 51% loyal to their bosses. With young talent itching to jump ship, companies ignoring these red flags risk a mass exodus.