Purpose-driven jobs top pick for career-seeking Gen Zs

Almost 40% of youths ranked meaningful work as the top factor in career choice.

Most Singaporeans aged between 16 and 25 years old are not that concerned about money as they rank meaningful jobs as the top factor when looking for a career, a study showed.

In a research published by insurance firm, Great Eastern Life, and Singapore University of Social Sciences, nearly 40% of Generation Zs polled said purpose-driven jobs are their top factor in career decisions, followed by salary prospects with 19%.

Coming in third, 11% of these digital natives also look for work-life balance, followed by 10% who seek a job that is related to their studies.

The study, citing professional services firm Deloitte, said that youths who grew up in the digital age tend to form opinions about a firm based on ethics, practices, and social impact. This factor influenced their choice of career path as they look for work that is fulfilling for them. According to a separate National Youth Survey 2019, young people feel pressure hunting for a job that is fulfilling, which is consistent with their expectations for a career.

Over 2,500 Gen Z Singaporeans were polled from March 2021 to October 2021 for this study.