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The way we work has changed significantly over the generations, from laboring in the fields to operating factory machinery to working in today’s growing knowledge and service-based sectors. And as work has changed, so have workers’ attitudes and expectations. Fewer workers today expect to stay with their current employer until they retire. While baby boomers often dedicated their lives to one company, and clocked in daily on-site, Millennials today tend to job hop and prefer to work remotely.
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And despite being stereotyped as lazy, Millennials, who now make up more than a third of the workforce, put in just about as many hours as baby boomers while getting paid less for it. They’re also more likely than older generations to forfeit vacation time, even though as junior employees they’re allotted fewer days, and are almost twice as likely to have a spouse or partner working full time.
By 2025 Millennials and Generation Z workers will make up almost three quarters of the workforce. And it will be a workforce that is smarter, with close to two thirds educated beyond high school, and more diverse by gender, ethnicity, and religion, than today’s cohort.
Below, we trace the changes and trends in the job sector over the generations.
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