“Ambitious”, “satisfied”… young people are as invested in their relationship with work as their elders, according to a study

Are young people less committed to work? Going against the clichés, a joint study published on Thursday by Apec and think tank Terra Nova, shows that the relationship with work of the under-30s is about the same as that of their elders. Proof of stereotypes that are still alive: 93% of managers of all ages believe that young people belong at work “different from their fathers”

The study is based on responses from more than 3,000 young workers under the age of 30 and over 2,000 workers between the ages of 30 and 65.

For Gilles Gateau, economist and director general of the Association for Executive Employment (Apec), “Each generation builds this discourse on young people who have little taste for effort, but to that is added the Covid crisis, which exposes the question of the relationship with work”

. However, according to the joint Apec/Terra Nova survey, seniors and young people share the same top 3. “Their Basic Expectations of Work”. Among youth, remuneration comes first (55%) followed by interest in work (41%).

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More facilities for “quitting”.

Life balance, often seen as central to the younger generation, comes in third. A concern they agree on “a little less important” More than their elders: 34% of young workers cite it as one of their top priorities, compared to 45% of 45-65 year olds. “What characterizes this generation is its ability to quit jobs that don’t meet its aspirations, which the previous generation didn’t have”Gilles observes the gateau.

Terra Nova and Apec have established six typical profiles among 18-29 year olds based on their social origins and jobs. More than one of the two youths belong to the category “ambitious” (39%) and “satisfied” (14%): They have a generally positive relationship with work and are primarily managers. are divided among others “Warrior” (20%) and “frustrated” (10%) – for whom the activity is primarily considered “A Necessity, Even an Obstacle” – Or “Stop and Watch”(11%) and “away”(6%), for whom work is associated with the idea “regular”.