The work philosophy of quiet quitting — a rebellion against the "rise and grind" ethos — is spreading quickly and widely among young workers. And this has the potential to change how we all work.
82% of Gen Zers say the idea of doing the minimum required to keep their jobs is pretty or extremely appealing. And some 15% are already doing it, per a new Axios/Generation Lab poll.
The desire to work to live, instead of living to work, is consistent across gender, race, and political views.
- 85% of young women find the idea of doing the minimum to get by appealing, and 79% of young men feel the same way.
- 82% of white respondents, 86% of Black respondents, and 79% of Asian respondents share this view of work, as do 84% of Democrats, 79% of Republicans, and 83% of independents.
Respondents also ranked work lower on their list of priorities than family, friends, wellness, and hobbies.
The new generation of office workers has been shaped by hybrid and remote culture and values work-life balance far more than generations that came before it.
- It'll be difficult for employers to change the tide.
Despite the widespread appeal of quiet quitting, respondents say they want to work an average of 8–9 hours per day.
- They're willing to engage with work, but they want to let go of grind culture and redefine work as an 8-hours-per-day, 40-hours-per-week part of life.
The numbers show that quiet quitting cuts across demographics and may be here to stay.
Methodology: This poll was conducted Sept. 12-15 from a representative sample of 828 18 to 29-year-olds nationwide. The margin of error is +/- 3.4 percentage points.