The No. 1 Industry Gen Z Wants To Work In..

Media and entertainment is the top industry Gen Z wants to work in, beating tech, health care and education, according to CNBC citing a new report from Samsung and Morning Consult.

The report, which surveyed over 1,000 Americans ages 16 to 25, found that Gen Z values flexible, creative jobs and careers where they can maintain a healthy work-life balance.

“Lifestyle is a big part of the attraction,” says Ann Woo, the head of corporate citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. “Media and entertainment is a creative industry that offers flexibility and self-expression, two of the most important attributes younger workers want in a job.”

To be fair, 2023 has been a tough year to work in media and entertainment. Both WGA and SAG-AFTRA members went on strike for several months and companies have had to grapple with declining ad revenue and unprofitable streaming businesses.

Entertainment alone has lost over 44,000 jobs since May, at least partly due to the strikes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Even so, Gen Z is a social generation that places a high value on community and societal impact over job security in their careers, Woo points out.

In several surveys, including the one from Samsung and Morning Consult, strong work-life balance, learning and development opportunities and creative freedom ranked as the top priorities for early career professionals.

Gen Z is increasingly gravitating toward media and entertainment careers in part because more young people see social media influencing as a viable career path. Some 57% of Gen Zers said they would like to become an influencer if given the chance, according to a recent report from Morning Consult. 

The rising popularity of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube has created a new class of entrepreneurs called “creators,” a group that includes freelancers, business coaches, gamers and other professionals who share and monetize their expertise on these platforms.