Lazy NEETs | Gen Z are increasingly not in employment, education, or training - but is it their fault?

Gen Z has gotten a bad reputation in the workplace. They’re often portrayed in the media as lazy, demanding, and self-entitled. Unfortunately for young employees, this has been backed by a recent report from the International Labour Organisation, which reported that one-in-five people between the ages of 15 to 24 were classified as NEETs (not in employment, education, or training) in 2023.

Unlike what many of their parents and grandparents would have done, or had the opportunity to do, at their age, Gen Z is taking a break from working life. But why is this phenomenon taking place? And ss there more to it than ‘laziness’ as an explanation?