Even though Gen Z is often considered the most tech-savvy generation, new research shows they’re actually the least likely to want to work fully remotely.
According to a recent Gallup poll, only 23% of Gen Z workers—those born in 1997 or later—say they’d prefer to work entirely from home. That’s compared to 35% of workers from older generations. One major reason? Loneliness.
Gallup found that Gen Z employees report higher levels of loneliness than any other age group. In fact, they’re nearly twice as likely as Gen X and nearly three times as likely as baby boomers to say they felt lonely “a lot” the day before being surveyed.
This loneliness might also be affecting how Gen Z feels about work overall. According to Gallup analysts Ryan Pendell and Sangeeta Agrawal, Gen Z workers have the lowest life satisfaction scores at work and struggle more than others to feel connected.
Hybrid work—the middle ground between remote and in-office—is Gen Z’s top choice. But there's a catch: many young employees are being told to come into the office on specific days, which might not line up with when their coworkers are in. As a result, they miss out on the in-person interaction that hybrid work is supposed to offer.
Another factor? Family life. Gen Z workers are the least likely to have young children at home, which means they don’t have the same personal need for remote work flexibility that older colleagues—especially millennials—do. In fact, 41% of millennials said they’d consider quitting if their remote options were taken away.
Across the board, very few people from any generation want to work in the office full-time: just 6% of Gen Z, 4% of millennials, 9% of Gen X, and 10% of baby boomers say they’d prefer it.
Gallup researchers suggest that to better support younger employees, leaders should rethink how hybrid schedules are managed—ideally encouraging more overlap between team members’ in-office days. Even better: have honest conversations about how everyone works best, and coordinate from there.