Millennials don't want to quit. They want to get laid off

"We sold them a career vision which they probably aren't going to get. They're more willing to afford the thought of, 'I'm going to find something else, but I can't really afford to pull the trigger myself'. This reflects how young workers face student debt, rising living costs, and diminished prospects for traditional milestones like homeownership, making voluntary job transitions feel financially impossible despite career dissatisfaction."

"A recent survey of 2,000 Gen Z and millennial workers in the US by online education platform ELVTR found that 37% of millennials are dissatisfied with their current roles, and 55% feel unsettled in their careers. Nearly six in 10 said they hoped for an external excuse to leave a job they felt stuck in, such as being laid off."

"Jobs no longer deliver the stability or upward mobility that they used to. On top of that, many young people have high levels of student debt gathering interest in a world where the cost of living is still rising, making traditional milestones, like homeownership, increasingly out of reach."

The current job market presents significant challenges including AI-powered résumé filters, ghost jobs, and widespread layoffs, prompting workers to cling to their positions. However, a surprising trend shows mid-career millennials experiencing "career dysmorphia"—dissatisfaction with jobs that no longer provide stability or upward mobility. A survey found 37% of millennials are dissatisfied with current roles and 55% feel unsettled in their careers, with nearly 60% hoping for external excuses like layoffs to leave. High student debt, rising living costs, and unattainable traditional milestones compound this anxiety. Rather than risk navigating the chaotic job market independently, many millennials prefer involuntary job loss. This trend signals warning signs for Gen Z entering a workforce increasingly reshaped by AI and instability.

Read at Fast Company