An Economy of Uncertainty
The promise that a degree guarantees a stable, well-paying job feels increasingly fragile. While India's workforce is more educated than ever, graduate unemployment remains stubbornly high. According to the International Labour Organization, young people
with degrees make up a disproportionate share of the unemployed in India. This creates a paradox: a generation that invested heavily in education now faces a job market where opportunity has not kept pace. Compounding this is the rising cost of living, which puts immense pressure on young job seekers who are already struggling to find their footing. For many, the traditional path of education leading to a secure career now feels more like a gamble, leading to a constant state of financial and professional insecurity.
The AI Shadow Looms Large
Gen Z is the first generation to enter the workforce with Artificial Intelligence as both a colleague and a competitor. While young Indians are adopting AI tools faster than their global peers, this confidence is mixed with apprehension. The rapid automation of entry-level and routine tasks in sectors like IT, content creation, and back-office operations is a significant source of anxiety. Major IT firms, which have traditionally been mass recruiters of fresh graduates, are now slowing hiring and investing heavily in AI-driven agentic platforms. This technological shift is reshaping the very definition of an entry-level job, leaving many graduates wondering if the skills they have acquired will be relevant in a few years, fuelling fears of being left behind before their careers have even begun.
The Pressure of the Digital Self
Beyond economic and technological pressures lies the immense psychological weight of social media. Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram present a curated feed of success stories: high-paying job offers, rapid promotions, and entrepreneurial triumphs. This constant exposure to the highlights of others' careers, often stripped of the context of struggle and failure, fuels a relentless cycle of comparison and feelings of inadequacy. Many young professionals report feeling 'behind' even when they are objectively doing well. This phenomenon, termed 'success anxiety', turns achievement into a source of stress rather than satisfaction, as the goalposts for success seem to be constantly moving. The pressure to build a 'personal brand' and project a multi-hyphenated identity adds another layer of emotional fatigue.
Redefining Ambition
This anxiety is not leading to apathy; instead, it is forcing a generational recalibration of what a career should be. Gen Z is pushing back against the 'hustle culture' that glorified burnout. A Naukri report found that 50% of Gen Z professionals consider work-life balance a top priority when evaluating a job, and 57% define career growth as learning new skills, not just getting promotions or pay raises. This generation is increasingly prioritising roles that offer flexibility, psychological safety, and a sense of purpose. Actions labelled as 'quiet quitting' are often a refusal to engage in unrecognised work, a firm boundary-setting in response to a work culture not designed for them. Rather than a lack of ambition, this reflects a shift in what is considered valuable in a career.
