Job Stability Trumps Passion for Majority of College Students, According to Adecco Way to Work™ Survey

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy percent of students would prefer a stable job without a high level of emotional investment or passion over a job with lots of passion but no job security, according to the most recent Way to Work™ survey from Adecco Staffing USA, the nation's leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. The survey also found that while the majority (79 percent) of students are optimistic they will find a job in five months or less, finding a job is still their top concern.

Adecco conducted the survey of 1,001 Millennial and Generation Z students as part of its Way to Work™ program, which helps prepare students and recent graduates for internships and job opportunities. Members of 'Gen Z' surveyed, who are between the ages of 18-20, appear to already have differences in their priorities and concerns compared to their Millennial counterparts.

"We're on the cusp of a new era," said Joyce Russell, president, Adecco Staffing, USA. "With the first group of 'Gen Z' now in college, it will be fascinating to learn how this new generation of the labor force differs from Millennials in terms of their aspirations, outlook, expectations and priorities."

Students' Concerns for the Future

While Millennials and Gen Z have some differences in opinion, the ability to find a job is the top concern for nearly one-third (32 percent) of all respondents. This is universal across the different gender and age groups surveyed.

More Gen Z'ers (21 percent) rank the cost of education as their greatest concern compared to just 13 percent of Millennials, which is likely tied to having a longer period of education to pay for.

Students' Aspirations

The survey found that most students' greatest aspiration in the next ten years is to be financially stable (31 percent), followed by landing in their dream job (28 percent). Overall, 69 percent of respondents ranked financial stability among their top three greatest aspirations.

"A trend we're seeing emerge is that students --particularly the older ones-- who felt or witnessed the impact of the recession are more likely to prioritize career growth and stability in their job search," added Russell. "The data shows us that these students are willing to make mature decisions, like pursuing financial stability over passion and focusing on long term goals as a way to ensure their future."

• Career growth (36 percent) ranks as the most important aspect for a first professional job—particularly for recent grads, followed by stability (19 percent) and fulfilling work (19 percent). Female Millennials and Gen Z'ers ranked fulfilling work more highly than males (23 percent versus 16 percent) as the most important aspect.

Surprisingly, some of the perks that companies offer to attract and retain workers, including friendly work environments (10 percent), flexible schedules (7 percent), and the high salaries (6 percent) rank lower on respondents' list of priorities for a first professional job. 

Additional findings related to the aspirations of students in the next 10 years include:

• Being in a dream job is the greatest aspiration for more members of Gen Z than Millennials (32 percent versus 24 percent), while more Millennials opt for financial security (34 percent) over Gen Z (29 percent).
• Starting a family is among the top three aspirations for 28 percent of males versus only 20 percent of females.
• Traveling seems to appeal more to women with 38 percent noting that it was among the top three greatest aspirations, compared to 26 percent of men.

To view additional survey findings, please visit here. To learn more about Adecco's Way to Work™ program, including its *CEO for One Month internship opportunity, as well as to access resources to help students and recent graduates land their dream job, please visit Adecco's Way to Work™ Career Center.

Methodology
This report presents the findings of an online survey conducted by ORC International from March 2-11, 2015, among 1,001 U.S. students that are currently in college, or recently graduated within the last few months aged 18-24. The margin of error for this study would be plus or minus 3.2 percent had it been a probability study (inclusive of all persons in the universe).

444 respondents fell into the category of Generation Z (those born after 1995), and 557 fell into the Millennial generation (those born between 1980 - 1995). The first members of 'Gen Z' are now entering college and while they are still young, differences between this group and Millennials are starting to appear.

About Adecco Staffing USA
Adecco Staffing USA is the nation's leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. It is the pre-eminent workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key industries and professions that drive the US economy forward. Adecco has more than 450 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000 talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country, making them one of America's largest employers. Visit http://www.adeccousa.com for more information.

About Adecco Group North America: 
Every day we provide our clients with the talent they need, and help solve the business challenges they face today – and will encounter tomorrow. Our clients rely on us for a wide range of workforce solutions including:

• Contingent staffing and direct hire recruitment for large enterprise organizations across all skill sets
• Workforce solutions and consulting including Managed Services Programs (MSP) & Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Career transition and leadership consulting
• Specialty staffing, project solutions and consulting services

SOURCE Adecco Staffing USA

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