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Modern adult life has been anything but kind to Gen Z
In A Nutshell
- 68% doubt they’ll ever retire: Even those working two jobs see no end in sight
- 56% have no life outside work: With less than an hour of free time daily, Gen Z is trapped in survival mode
- Taking extreme measures: From cutting their own hair to cold showers and bathtub laundry, basic costs are out of reach
- Mental and physical toll: Money stress has damaged 72% of social lives, 67% of mental health, and 62% of physical health
These are hard times for young adults. More than half of Gen Z workers say they don’t have lives outside their jobs. They’re taking cold showers, cutting their own hair, and doing laundry in bathtubs to save money. And despite all of it, nearly 7 in 10 still doubt they’ll ever retire.
A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Gen Z hourly workers illustrates a generation trapped in survival mode. More than a third are working multiple jobs, with nearly half reporting an hour or less of free time each day. The relentless grind isn’t building toward a comfortable future, as 68% don’t believe they’ll ever enjoy the joy of retirement. In 2025 alone, money constraints damaged their social lives (72%), mental health (67%), and physical health (62%).
Why Gen Z Workers Can’t Afford to Retire
Those confident they’ll retire are working two jobs on average, compared to just one job for those uncertain about their retirement prospects. This difference raises an uncomfortable question: Will Gen Z actually need multiple jobs just to have any hope of stopping work someday?
According to the survey, which was commissioned by financial tech company DailyPay, 77% of Gen Z workers expect to work past the typical retirement age to make ends meet. Half believe they’ll need full-time work well into their later years, while 29% anticipate needing at least part-time work. Despite this pessimism, 67% are still saving for retirement. But among those who don’t think they’ll retire, only 44% are setting money aside just in case, leaving a significant group with no safety net for later years.
Gen Z workers are also financially responsible for one other person on average, along with themselves, which helps explain the aggressive cost-cutting measures they’ve adopted.
Extreme Money-Saving Measures Become the Norm
Gen Z has developed some creative strategies to stretch every dollar. Forty-four percent rely mostly on home-cooked meals, 38% shop exclusively at discount stores, and 26% cut their own hair to avoid salon costs. Nearly one in five keeps the thermostat very low in winter and high in summer. Fifteen percent take shorter or cold showers to reduce water bills, while 13% air-dry their clothes instead of using a dryer.
When asked about the most drastic things they did in 2025 to save money, some described cutting back on showering entirely, turning off hot water or electricity, doing laundry in the bathtub, and stopping purchases of basic necessities like groceries and toilet paper.
Gen Z Retirement Dreams Collide With Work-Life Reality
The work-life balance crisis runs deep. Fifty-six percent said they don’t feel like they have lives outside their jobs. Dating has become a luxury: 56% said financial challenges negatively impacted their romantic relationships in 2025, and 48% of single respondents went on fewer dates than they’d hoped because money was tight.
More than 63% said their work performance has suffered in the past year because of money worries. Many ended up in their current positions out of desperation. Thirty-five percent admitted they accepted their jobs because they desperately needed work, and 31% took roles primarily because of payment frequency rather than any interest in the work itself.
“Gen Z is facing a financial crisis that is actively undermining their health, their work performance and their hope for retirement,” said Andrew Brandman, chief operating officer at DailyPay, in a statement.
Only 15% of respondents have access to on-demand pay, but 63% of those without it want it. Gen Z workers said having access to their earned wages daily would make them more financially stable (30%) and help them save money (28%). They also believe it would improve their mental health (27%), boost productivity at work (23%), and enhance their social lives (22%).
Brandman noted that on-demand pay has become an essential benefit that provides financial security. Empowering workers with real-time access to the pay they’ve already earned can help Gen Z stabilize their finances, he said.
For a generation cutting their own hair and skipping showers to save money, the American dream of retirement isn’t just distant—for most, it feels impossible.
Survey Methodology
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Gen Z workers who are paid hourly. The survey was commissioned by DailyPay and administered online by Talker Research between November 21 and December 1, 2025.
