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Gen Y No More Focused on ‘Work-Life’ Balance than Baby Boomers

June 26, 2008 — A new study shows that today’s new college graduates and their Baby Boomer counterparts may have more in common than one might expect — including a willingness to trade their free time for their jobs. 

The National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2008 Graduating Student Survey shows little to no difference among class of 2008 graduates and Class of 1982 graduates on questions related to work hours and trade-offs between work and life commitments.

In comparing the results of NACE’s current student survey to those of a similar study NACE conducted in 1982, “we found that Gen Y is no more focused on ‘work-life’ balance than Baby Boomers were when they graduated,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. “In general, both groups were willing to give up time to succeed in their careers.”

Instead, differences between the two graduating classes crop up on issues of community; job and economic security; and the ethical behavior of employers.

“The class of 2008 tends to be somewhat more community-oriented, more concerned with job and economic security, and more focused on the ethical behavior of employers than the class of 1982,” says Mackes.

However, the results of the survey show that the class of 2008 are most concerned with the financial security that companies offer. The job/employer attributes ranked second and third in this year’s survey were “job security” and “good insurance package.” Ranked first was “company provides the opportunity for advancement.”