BY COMOFRT OGBONNA
For years, younger Americans have tended to express greater optimism about the job market than older generations, even during periods of economic stress such as the Great Recession. That long-standing pattern has now reversed in a striking shift, according to a new poll released Monday. The findings show that confidence among younger people has fallen sharply over the past two years, while older Americans have remained comparatively upbeat about job prospects.
The divide between age groups in the United States is now larger than in any other country among the 141 surveyed, based on data from the Gallup World Poll. Only 43% of Americans aged 15 to 34 say it is a “good time” to find a job in their local area, compared with 64% of those aged 55 and older. That 21-point gap highlights a rare reversal in which younger Americans are now significantly more pessimistic than their elders.
Globally, the trend looks very different. The median share of younger people worldwide who say it is a good time to find work stands at 48%, compared with 38% among older adults. In most countries, younger people remain more confident than older generations, making the U.S. pattern an outlier. Only a small group of countries, including China, Hong Kong, Norway, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates, show a similar generational divide where younger people are more pessimistic than older ones.
Experts say the shift in the United States is both unusual and recent. Gallup researchers note that young Americans have historically been among the most optimistic groups globally when it comes to job opportunities. That pattern has weakened sharply in the last two years. Among 141 countries, young Americans now rank 87th in job market confidence, a notable decline from previous years when they consistently ranked much higher.
The change has been rapid. After rebounding in the post-pandemic period of 2021 and 2022, confidence among all U.S. age groups declined after 2023. However, the drop has been most severe among younger Americans. The share of people under 35 who believe it is a good time to find work fell by 27 percentage points between 2023 and 2025, a decline comparable to what was seen during the 2008 global financial crisis. In contrast, older Americans have seen only minor changes in their outlook over the same period.
This widening gap in perception reflects deeper differences in how generations view the economy. Recent polling also shows that younger adults are significantly more likely to describe the U.S. economy as poor. About 8 in 10 Americans under 35 say the economy is in bad shape, compared with roughly 6 in 10 Americans aged 55 and older. While both groups lean negative overall, younger people are notably more dissatisfied.
Analysts suggest that the divergence may be tied to long-term economic pressures facing younger generations, including housing costs, student debt, and job market uncertainty. Many older Americans, by contrast, are more likely to be retired, own homes, and have more stable financial foundations, which may contribute to their more positive outlook.
The shift is also becoming a factor in broader political and social attitudes. Economic concerns, especially affordability and cost of living, were central issues in recent elections, particularly among younger voters. Some polling indicates that dissatisfaction with economic conditions has continued into the current political climate, with a large share of younger adults expressing disapproval of how economic issues are being handled.
Observers of youth attitudes note that the growing frustration is not only financial but also psychological, as younger people increasingly feel that previous generations had access to easier pathways toward stability. This sense of generational inequality is adding to broader tensions over economic opportunity and long-term mobility.
Overall, the findings point to a significant and sudden shift in how younger Americans view their economic future. While older generations continue to maintain relatively steady confidence in job availability, younger Americans are experiencing a steep decline in optimism, marking one of the most pronounced generational divides in recent economic sentiment.
SOURCE: AP
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