Gen Z has discovered the ultimate anti-layoff hack: government jobs

Angle down iconAn icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. I want YOU to work for the government. At least that's the latest takeaway some Gen Zers have of today's job market. Library of Congress

• Gen Zers and millennials are wary of layoffs — especially a recent wave hitting the tech sector.
• So they're turning to a "secret" hack: public-sector jobs.
• What's the appeal? Job security, a pension, strong benefits, and student loan forgiveness.

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Gen Z and millennial workers, disillusioned by the recent wave of layoffs hitting even healthy companies like Meta and Google, are considering the unthinkable: working for the government.

At a moment for young people when job security can be dicey, career advancement seems fraught, and loyalty to one's employer is in the toilet, working in the public sector suddenly has a lot to offer: good health insurance, strong benefits, guaranteed early retirement ages with a pension — and, as a cherry on top, student loans that are wiped clean after 10 years for certain public-sector jobs.

For burned-out early-career workers who are rejecting #hustle culture, this all starts to sound very appealing.

Fortune reports on TikTokers who are hyping up the benefits of working for Uncle Sam:

Having witnessed hundreds of thousands of workers lose their jobs in the past year — to the tune of 240,000 job cuts in the tech sector alone — graduates now rank stability as the top factor they're searching for in a job."One of the biggest benefits especially in this difficult market is the job security," Bonnie Dilber, a recruiter on TikTok, told her followers in one of the most watched videos on #governmentjobs."People in private sector jobs are three times more likely to lose their jobs than people in federal government jobs," she said, adding that public sector workers can also expect to enjoy a "better work-life balance" with a lot more paid time off.

Some people have always felt a calling to the types of jobs that are largely in government service: teachers, military personnel, park rangers, lawmakers, and social workers.

But on TikTok, people are hyping up white-collar jobs like "payroll specialist," where the skills can easily transfer from the private sector.

It's no secret that Gen Z is looking to rethink their approach to work and careers. They're more dissatisfied than any other generation with their jobs, and have less loyalty to their employers. Some prioritize high pay and career growth over whether the job itself is enjoyable.

It may seem counterintuitive to want to work in the public sector, which typically has lower salaries than the private sector. (For example, the CIA has an open listing for an AI specialist, a highly sought-after expertise that could pull a gargantuan salary in Big Tech, for a salary range of just $65,000 to $172,000.)

But it's the same reasons — distrust in job security, resentment about being asked to work long hours, a sense of doomerism about ever being able to retire or save for retirement, and the crushing weight of student loans — that make a stable government job seem pretty sweet.