For decades, younger Americans have been more optimistic than their elders about the job market—a pattern that held steady even through the depths of the Great Recession. But in a dramatic reversal, a Gallup World Poll released Monday finds that young people’s confidence has plummeted since 2023, while older Americans’ outlook has barely shifted, creating a generational rift in perceptions of economic opportunity that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
“It’s an incredibly new phenomenon,” said Benedict Vigers, a Gallup analyst. “Has this happened in most other advanced economies? The answer is a resounding no.”
The poll, based on telephone interviews with about 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in mid-2025, shows that 43% of Americans aged 15 to 34 now believe it is a good time to find a job in their area, down from 70% two years earlier. Among those 55 and older, 64% still say it is a good time to find work—a 21-point gap that is the