A weakening job market and a fundamental shift in entry-level hiring are driving Gen Z to reject traditional career paths and turn toward multiple streams of income -- known as "income stacking" -- to ensure financial security, according to the Next Gen of Work survey unveiled by Fiverr today.
Fiverr's annual survey in partnership with Censuswide polled over 12,000 global respondents from both Gen Z and Gen Alpha on the future of work, revealing how younger and future members of the workforce are adjusting to a changing economic landscape.
Sixty-seven percent of Gen Z surveyed* cite having multiple ways of earning money as essential for achieving financial security. Amidst increasing economic uncertainty, many new job seekers are feeling the single-paycheck panic and are adopting side hustles and non-traditional jobs. As career paths grow less predictable, 56% think traditional employment will become obsolete in the future, and 38% are already freelancing or plan to do so to create an additional revenue stream. In fact, the desire to work for a well-known corporation even ranked as one of the lowest career ambitions for Gen Z, at just 14%.
Like money dysmorphia, the phenomenon where people have a distorted view of their financial situation, the data also highlights Gen Z's anxiety about career earnings. Whether it's pressure from student loan payments, making rent, or a "keeping up with the Joneses" mindset exacerbated by social media, 46% of Gen Z respondents' biggest career fear is not making enough money to live comfortably.
"Gen Z isn't rejecting work, they're redefining it," Associate Director of Community & Social Impact, Michelle Baltrusitis, says. "Faced with economic uncertainty, Gen Z is experiencing what we're calling 'single-paycheck panic' -- they're diversifying income streams because relying on one job feels too risky. Instead of waiting for stability, they're betting on themselves by embracing freelancing and building financial resilience as the smarter path forward."
Carissa Ferguson exemplifies Gen Z's income stacking mastery, having earned more than $144,000 on Fiverr through voiceovers, copywriting, and content creation. The New York-based musical theatre performer has also diversified her income across five revenue streams, just one year out of college, while pursuing an acting career. She recently played Mrs. Corry in Mary Poppins in Rock Island, Illinois, and helps other artists build sustainable careers on her podcast, Showbiz Pod.
"Having multiple income streams means I never have to turn down an acting or creative opportunity because I'm worried about paying rent," says Ferguson. "I can pack up my laptop and keep my revenue streams running from anywhere. That's freedom most traditional employees will never experience."
When it comes to AI, it has already begun to shift the workplace drastically, and the next generation joining the office is quickly embracing this change. Gen Z views integrating AI into their workflows as imperative, with 59% feeling they can trust AI to do parts of their work -- 23% use AI to brainstorm in their workflow, 20% use it to generate content, and 20% use AI to improve creative projects.
For the first year, Gen Alpha was included in the study to show how the next generation will impact the future of work. Gen Alpha attitudes towards work diverge considerably from previous generations. Of the 4,500+ Gen Alpha ages 13-15 polled, 31% said they want to freelance. For the iPad and YouTube generation who grew up on devices, 30% say social media has introduced them to new career paths, and more of them desire roles in fields like visual arts, AI, social media management, influencer marketing, and user-generated content rather than industries traditionally considered prestigious, like law and business.