Zety.com

The line separating personal social media use from professional life has all but vanished. Based on a survey of over 900 Gen Z employees, Zety’s Gen Z Digital Boundaries Report reveals how digital footprints are impacting the careers of young professionals. The data shows a workforce navigating intense pressure to connect with colleagues online, leading to widespread self-censorship on social media and severe consequences for those who share too much.

Loyalty to employers is quickly fading among the youngest generation in the workforce. Zety’s latest Gen Z Workplace Expectations Report, based on a national survey of 1,001 Gen Z workers in the U.S., reveals a generation navigating widespread burnout while reassessing what makes a job worth investing in long term.

Feb 18, 2026 on Gen Z is entering the workforce in a job market defined by uncertainty, rapid change, and higher expectations for how quickly early-career employees should perform. Many are meeting that challenge with a new kind of support system: their parents. Zety’s Career Co-Piloting Report reveals the surprising ways parents are guiding Gen Z through the job market. From first applications to negotiating offers, parents are firmly in the driver’s seat for many Gen Z workers.

You’ve heard of sick leave and vacation days, but what about heartbreak leave? The Heartbreak Leave Report from Zety reveals that 1 in 3 U.S. workers are already taking time off after a breakup, calling out sick or using vacation days to recover from romantic loss, disrupting workplace productivity, engagement, and attendance.

After a year of wage stagnation, hiring slowdowns, and continued shifts in workplace norms, many employees are entering 2026 with tempered expectations. Zety’s 2026 Job Predictions Report reveals how workers view the job market, hiring trends, and their own career stability heading into the new year. The data shows that 2 in 3 workers (65%) believe the overall U.S. job market will stay the same or be weaker in 2026 compared to 2025.

The outlook for 2026 is anything but straightforward for U.S. workers. Findings from Zety’s new 2026 Job Search Split Report reveal a workforce caught between ambition and anxiety. The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. employees found that 47% plan to look for a new job in 2026, while 53% intend to stay in their current roles.

The cost of independence is rising, and young professionals are paying it in square footage. Zety’s latest 2025 Boomerang Kids Report reveals how economic pressure and shifting social norms have driven many early-career workers back into their childhood bedrooms. Surveying over 1,000 young adults aged 18–33, the report found that 35% have previously lived with their parents after starting their career, and another 34% are currently living at home.

Building on its 2025 State of Gig Work Report, Zety conducted a follow-up survey of more than 900 U.S. gig workers to better understand the motivations, time commitments, and career challenges of gig work. The Gig Worker Outlook Report found that more than half (52%) are new to gig work, having started within the past year, underscoring rapid growth in the gig economy.

Losing a job can be a life-altering moment, but what happens after the dust settles? To understand how workers are navigating the path forward, Zety surveyed nearly 1,000 Americans who were laid off in the past two years and have since landed new roles.

Our customers have been hired by:* For Gen Z, the traditional job search is a thing of the past. Zety’s 2025 Gen Z Career Trends Report offers a deep dive into how social media, specifically TikTok, is reshaping career decisions and job search strategies for the generation that grew up online. Surveying nearly 900 Gen Z employees, the results show how these digital platforms have become vital career resources for this modern workforce in 2025.