Generation Z is confronted with two major problems apart from criticism. On the one hand, rents are becoming increasingly expensive, and on the other hand, they no longer want to accept any job just to earn money. And this is particularly disapproved of by older generations, who refer to their own life paths.
The current situation is not particularly easy for many individuals. However, the generation most affected is Generation Z, many of whom are currently entering the workforce or looking for their own apartment.
Generation Z refers to men and women born between 1996 and 2012.
The first problem: Rapidly rising rent prices
What is the current situation? In Germany, rents have been rising sharply for several months, and this has not even been able to prevent the rent cap prescribed by the federal government.
For instance, Tagesspiegel reports that in 2009, one had to pay 5.60 euros per square meter for an apartment in Berlin. Fourteen years later (2023), prices have more than doubled at 11.90 euros. Rents have also risen similarly in other German cities. In just the first quarter of 2024, rents in Germany are expected to have risen by almost 6% (via Deutschlandfunk.de).
What is the problem for Gen Z? Young people currently searching for an apartment face the significant problem of being barely able to afford the prices. The Spanish website Genbeta cites a Spanish example: Today, a shared room in Madrid costs half as much as one could have paid for an entire house a few years ago. Young people also lack the option to take out a mortgage. Additionally, Gen Z has spent a lot of money, especially during the pandemic, and now has to pay high interest for their standard of living.
For this reason, even large consulting firms like Ernst & Young are now stating that urgent measures are needed for young people to access housing and, above all, to be able to pay their rent. For this is precisely what causes inequality, which then leads to the generational conflict currently present.
The second problem: Not every job at any price
The current situation may be difficult, but that does not lead many young people to simply take any job. They have certain principles, and they want to adhere to them, even if it means earning little or no money. Recently, it was noted that many from Gen Z are not focused on a corporate career but are interested in trades.
What is the problem? This leads to the condescending comments from older generations: Yes, we took on every kind of profession and job to make ends meet, and Gen Z does not want to do that. But Generation Z has grown up in a very different environment than previous generations.
Generation Z has grown up with modern labor and human rights. And they know from recent history that long working hours rarely lead to becoming an owner of a company, but rather serve to fill the pockets of bosses and investors in large companies.
Therefore, young people value working environments that respect working hours, and even more so flexible workplaces that allow individuals to fulfill their tasks without rigid temporal or spatial constraints: Generation Z is finally finding a reason to go from home office to the office
