Experts are already predicting how Generation Beta (born 2025-2039) will approach work, even though the first members are only days old. New research by Prudential Financial, incorporating literature reviews, expert interviews, focus groups, and a survey of over 2,000 Americans, suggests that flexible work will be favored over traditional careers.
By the time Generation Beta enters the workforce in the 2040s, conventional career paths are expected to be largely abandoned. Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code, suggests that the traditional office-based career trajectory will be obsolete.
This focus on flexibility is predicted to lead to a shorter workweek, with 75% of survey respondents anticipating that Generation Beta will work less than five days a week. However, this generation is also expected to be highly mobile in the job market. Around 72% of respondents believe they will change jobs at least 10 times, and 80% foresee them pursuing three or more distinct career paths.
While a 2019 Glassdoor study indicated that Gen Z favored roles like software engineer, developer, and sales associate, respondents believe Generation Beta will prioritize cybersecurity, climate change reversal, and human-tech integration roles. Notably, 86% of respondents believe Generation Beta will hold jobs with titles that don't even exist yet.
Economist Juliet Schor from Boston College anticipates "a lot more instability and change in people’s work lives." However, the research also frames Generation Beta as a "possibility generation," uniquely positioned to innovate, adapt, and redefine success and fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.