Generation Z, those 25 years old or younger, have grown up with the latest technology and would seem well-suited for remote work.
While the youngest adults are sometimes saddled with the stereotype of wanting to do everything on the couch in their comfy pants, a recent survey found they are the least likely to really want to work remotely.
“For younger workers, that kind of in-person face time is still viewed as being an important component of career growth for purposes of networking or just mentorship. I think Gen Z are also at a stage of life where the social components of work are important to them,” said Chris Salviati of at Apartment List, which surveyed about 5,000 employed U.S. adults currently working remotely at least 50% of the time.
In its survey, the majority across all generations felt remote work was more desirable than in-person work, but just 36% of Gen Zers said it was extremely desirable. Fifty-one percent of Millennials said so, 54% of Gen Xers said so and two-thirds of Baby Boomers said remote work was extremely desirable.
“That in-person feedback is probably less important and some of those social aspects are less important for some of the older workers who are prioritizing getting home to spend time with the kids rather than go to that happy hour after work,” Salviati said.
Apartment List’s research found the total share of remote workers has dropped from 51% in April 2021 to 44% currently, but 8 in 10 current remote workers expect a form of remote work going forward, the majority citing a hybrid schedule.
With hybrid now out-trending fully remote work, Apartment List expects that shift to have yet another impact on the housing market, particularly for more mobile, younger workers who may have moved away from cities and taken their remote jobs with them.
While apartment rents fell and vacancy rates rose in urban settings during 2020 and the better part of 2021, those trends have reversed course, and will likely to continue to do so. Hybrid work still requires a commutable connection to the office, and fewer fully remote opportunities will make long-distance moves unfeasible.
Apartment List’s full report on remote work trends, desires and housing market impacts is posted online.
