Why the kids aren’t alright at work

Young workers are losing job joy while older staff hit satisfaction highs, a recent study has found.

A new report from The Conference Board shows a growing divide in job satisfaction between younger and older workers. A little more than half (57 per cent) of employees under 25 say they’re happy in their jobs, compared to 72.4 per cent of those aged 55 and up — a 15-point gap that’s raising red flags for employers.

“This year’s results reveal a widening generational divide in how happy workers are in their jobs,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher of human capital at The Conference Board. “While mid- and late-career workers are reaping the benefits of improved leadership, manageable workloads and meaningful work, younger workers are still searching for the right culture fit.”

The 2025 Job Satisfaction survey found that overall satisfaction hit a record high — climbing 5.7 percentage points in a single year, the biggest jump since the survey began in 1987. Workers reported improvements in 26 out of 27 job elements, with only equipment quality seeing a dip.

Driving the boost is a strong labour market, steady compensation growth and workplace changes like hybrid flexibility and clearer career paths. Sentiment also improved across engagement factors like mental health, sense of belonging and intent to stay.

But the gains weren’t shared equally. Workers under 25 were the only group to report a drop in satisfaction. Many are still struggling to find roles that match their values and expectations.

Culture, not compensation, is what’s keeping people happy. The top drivers of satisfaction were interest in work, leadership quality, workplace culture, workload and relationships with supervisors. Pay and benefits, while still important, had less influence on overall happiness.

Women, for the first time in seven years, reported slightly higher job satisfaction than men. But they still lag behind in 21 of 27 job metrics — especially those tied to compensation like bonuses and retirement benefits.

The report also found that job switchers are slightly happier than those who stayed put, with 70.5 per cent of recent movers reporting satisfaction compared to 69.6 per cent of stayers. Most said they changed jobs for better culture and growth opportunities and not just a bigger paycheque.

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