Working abroad: are Gen Z career choices sustainable?

Gen Z and working abroad: Dream careers don't always match what economies actually need

Passion-driven careers can be found across virtually every industry. That said, a notable number of Gen Z workers (born in the late 1990s) are gravitating toward "dream jobs," careers they're passionate about, or roles that simply align with their personal interests. In France, skilled trades are having a real moment. According to a LinkedIn study, 63% of young people aged 18 to 28 prefer the dynamic, hands-on nature of trade work over the sedentary reality of office jobs.

Social media is blurring borders when it comes to dream careers. Young Americans aspire to become influencers, streamers, fashion professionals, artists, or entrepreneurs building their next lucrative venture. Engineering, medicine, and teaching also rank high on their wish lists. In the UK, young people similarly dream of careers in art, sport, and music, while others picture themselves as teachers, healthcare workers, researchers, or bankers.

This raises a fundamental question about career sustainability. In an increasingly competitive global job market, are careers in art, sport, music, or fashion truly viable in the long term? The point isn't to dismiss the arts or sport, both of which are essential to well-being and contribute meaningfully to the economy. Rather, it's worth comparing young people's career choices against the realities of the international labor market. Because labor shortages in healthcare, construction, transportation, and logistics continue to grow, and they're a global problem.

The case of Mexico

Mexico's Ministry of Education has overhauled its technical high school system, introducing 14 new vocational tracks specifically designed to align students' knowledge and skills with immediate industry needs. That alignment continues at the university level, with investment focused on building student expertise in high-growth, sustainable sectors: AI, aerospace, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and more.

Not everyone welcomes this growing corporate influence in education, however. Public-private partnerships are one thing, but many argue that education should remain free from the pressures of economic trends. Young people, they say, should be able to pursue their passions without being constrained by market demands.

Those who share this view warn that over-aligning education with immediate business needs risks producing a generation of workers ill-equipped to adapt when the global economy shifts. They also point out that not all Gen Z workers dream of becoming influencers, artists, or athletes. For pragmatists, that's reason enough not to penalize young people who pursue careers perceived as "unsustainable" or harder to break into. These analysts do acknowledge, however, that reforming the education system to steer young people toward in-demand sectors is both necessary and valuable for driving economic growth.

The case of Latvia: Unsustainable jobs or careers that "work" for the economy?

A similar dynamic is playing out in Latvia, where young people's appetite for careers labeled "unsustainable" has become a concern at the highest levels of government. The World Economic Forum dedicated an entire study to the issue, published in February 2026. The report doesn't question the value of art or sport, but it does ask a pointed question: how can a country sustain economic growth when its young workforce's career choices don't align with what the economy actually needs?

The report finds that the majority of under-30s are drawn to arts, music, design, and the creative industries (19%), entrepreneurship (19%), and sport (14%). Healthcare does top the list of interests at 21%, but only narrowly. More concerning is the fact that the sectors with the greatest labor demand today and in the future (healthcare aside) hold little appeal for Gen Z. Only 7% of under-30s are considering careers in transportation and logistics, just 3% in textile production and manufacturing, and another 3% in energy (2025 figures).

The study's authors attribute this disconnect largely to inadequate career guidance. Young people still rely heavily on the opinions of parents and friends when thinking about their futures. What's needed instead, they argue, is access to qualified career counselors and direct engagement with employers, to help young people discover industries that aren't immediately visible or that carry an unfairly negative image.

Gen Z and international careers: Caught between dreams and pessimism

Are young workers becoming more pessimistic? The research suggests yes. More so than previous generations, particularly baby boomers, Gen Z workers report a significant gap between their dream job and the one they actually hold. They're also more likely to regret their career choice.

Bridging dreams, values, and labor market realities is no easy task. The number of entry-level job openings for young workers has dropped by at least 29%, with particularly steep declines in tech (-35%) and finance (-24%), two sectors long known for hiring young international talent. Randstad attributes this partly to AI-driven task automation and the broader impact of digital transformation. Healthcare, by contrast, has seen a 13% increase in entry-level job postings. There's no mass automation of clinical tasks; instead, chronic staffing shortages across many countries are making it essential to recruit young workers.

Does this mean every young person should pursue a career in AI? Absolutely not. Even as governments pour investment into artificial intelligence, steering an entire generation toward the same field would be a mistake. The reality is a labor market defined by chronic shortages in key sectors and sweeping disruption driven by AI. So how do you balance study choices, employment prospects, and a career abroad in that environment?

How can young people align their studies with the job market?

A European study published in February 2026 (drawing on data collected in 2024) offers an encouraging finding: 56.4% of 15 to 34-year-olds working in the European Union feel their field of study closely matches their field of employment. One important detail: this satisfaction rate rises with education level, sitting at 46.1% among those with intermediate qualifications and climbing to 68.1% among highly educated workers. Similar patterns likely exist in other countries, where higher qualifications open the door to better job opportunities, a direction already reflected in the immigration policies of major destination countries.

Another positive finding: the strongest alignment between studies and work is found among young people in healthcare (80.6%), information and communication technology (77%), and education (73.6%). That said, the study also reveals that young people who graduated in arts and humanities had a harder time finding work that matched their studies (52.2%). Those working in journalism, social sciences, and services faced even greater difficulties (59%).

Gen Z and the global work culture 

Could Gen Z be in the process of rewriting what work actually means? Somewhere between idealism and pessimism, there's a clear desire to move away from the mindset of previous generations. On one hand, young workers want to live out their professional ambitions. On the other hand, many are gravitating toward "sensible" careers, ones seen as stable and sustainable rather than passion-driven. It's the difficult economic climate that's nudging young people toward security. But that search for stability doesn't come at the expense of work-life balance, which remains a core priority. Nowhere is this more apparent than among young expats. More of them are willing to take the leap and pursue a career abroad, one where personal well-being matters just as much as professional advancement. They're also prepared to quit when a job conflicts with their values or when working conditions leave no room for personal fulfillment.

In Japan, for example, young workers are increasingly comfortable with changing careers to explore different industries. In 2025, 98% of them secured employment immediately after graduating. Yet nearly 40% left their first job within three years of being hired (according to figures from Japan's Ministries of Labor and Culture). Personal fulfillment and flexibility have become non-negotiables, a shift that's being recognized in countries around the world. The challenge, ultimately, is finding the balance between personal aspirations and the realities of the international job market.