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Young Americans will play a significant role in shaping workplaces in the decades ahead, and a new study conducted by Generation Lab for CNBC takes a look at how they feel about work-life balance and corporate culture.
One finding of note: younger employees are back at job sites, and they’re okay with it.
Just over half (52%) of those polled say they’re at work now “every day.”
The majority of in-office numbers rise to a combined 86% when including those in four days a week (21% of respondents), and those in three days (15%).
For the majority of younger workers, the shift away from remote flexibility is not being made in resignation — they say being in the office three to four days a week seems fair to them.
Seventy-six percent of respondents said “ideally” they want to be at work at least three days a week.
The survey was conducted from April 2-May 2 by Generation Lab via email, and includes close to 18,000 Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 who are either currently enrolled in higher education (two-year, four-year and technical colleges) or graduated within the past four years. Generation Lab is a data intelligence firm specializing in the study of trends among young people.
Only 9% of those polled said the ability to work remotely was the second most important issue (after money) when deciding on where to work. Thirty-six percent cited “career/skill development” as their top priority after money, while 27% said “company and team culture” ranked second to compensation.
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Loyalty to corporate employers will need to be earned
While they are happy to be back at the workplace, the loyalty of younger workers will have to be earned by employers. Only 7% say they are “committed to staying at a company for the long haul,” while just 16% say they want to invest long-term in a company’s success. But given the right career advancement opportunities, they will stay, with 46% of respondents saying they “want to grow within the company but may consider external opportunities.”
Younger generations are willing to work long hours to get ahead, but they have their limits. When asked about willingness to work “outside the bounds of your standard responsibilities” nearly one-third (32%) said it is “the best way to distinguish” themselves on the job. But over half (56%) said they’d do it, “but grudgingly,” and that they “value work-life balance.”
While much has been made in recent years of the autonomy younger workers desire, they expect their managers to invest the time in helping them to advance in their careers. The majority (64%) say they want regular feedback from their supervisors:
- Daily feedback: 5%
- Weekly feedback: 28%
- Monthly feedback: 31%
Only 12% of poll respondents said they want to hear from their supervisors once or twice a year.
Young employees want the feedback in person (62% said they “best receive feedback face-to-face”), double those who said email, text or Slack. And many want the feedback from more than one source — 39% say they want to hear from “multiple people and perspectives.”
Tesla, Big Tech have worse reputation than Big Oil
A bumper sticker protesting Tesla CEO Elon Musk is shown on a Tesla car on March 12, 2025 in Corte Madera, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Generation Lab also polled respondents to see which major companies they “associate with unethical behavior or negative impact.”
Several big tech companies fared poorly on this question, with Tesla (68%), Meta (64%), and Amazon (61%) all being perceived negatively by over 60% of respondents.
Boeing, at 61%, was the only other major company to be viewed negatively by more than 60% of the survey audience.
The three big tech firms have worse reputations among young Americans than Exxon Mobil (51% view the oil and gas company negatively).
Some of the hottest tech companies in the newest generation of Silicon Valley also had relatively low reputational scores compared to many companies: OpenAI (43% view it negatively) and Palantir (49% view it negatively).
“A few years ago, Tesla, Meta, Boeing and Amazon all would have been on the most favored list,” said Cyrus Beschloss, CEO of Generation Lab. “This may show these companies’ communication mechanisms have failed to stop a leak of perceived bad news.”
The case of Tesla may be the most unique. “Tesla has a great story to tell about its product but perceptions of Elon Musk’s involvement in politics have not been a positive for the brand,” Beschloss said. “But he can probably turn that around by focusing on the good of the mission, if Musk decides to do so.”
Want to keep DEI in workplace, but don’t want politics
A major issue since the start of the second Trump administration has been the administration’s targeting of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and a subsequent retreat among companies supporting recently stated DEI goals. That doesn’t fly with most young workers, and the survey indicates they will not support corporate employers that retreat on the issue.
A majority (67%) say they “strongly support” companies continuing at least some DEI initiatives, while 15% said they either “prefer to eliminate” DEI or “prefer to scale it back.”
But a majority of respondents (58%) also indicated that when it comes to “discussing politics in the workplace,” they prefer to avoid it.
Economic, job fears are elevated
Trump administration tariffs, and the threat of more tariffs, have many economists and investors worried about a slowdown in economic growth and the potential for increasing layoffs. Greater use of artificial intelligence by employers is also weighing on entry-level worker job opportunities and level of professional confidence. While the latest national employment data remains solid, these fears are reflected among younger workers.
Close to three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed said they are either “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” about a recession that could impact their job prospects.
“A lot of smart young people are following what business leaders say … casting doubt on the strength of the economy, and that’s had an impact,” Beschloss said. “This age group also grew up during the Covid economy and in some cases the Great Recession in 2007. They’re legitimately nervous,” he said.
“Right now, young people are seeing symptoms of a struggling economy in their everyday lives — through difficulties finding a job, higher prices, and constant conversation about tariffs. Fittingly, there’s no surprise that these recent difficulties and uncertainty had led to a growing sense that a recession could be on the horizon,” added Jira Smith, research director at Generation Lab.
When it comes to finding a job, most respondents use LinkedIn (63%), with Indeed.com ranked second (58%), followed by Handshake (37%).
As far as where younger workers look for career advice, they keep it close to home: 81% said they start with mom or dad.
