More Filipino millennials and Gen Zs are taking on side gigs on top of their primary job to make ends meet and are struggling as result, a Deloitte’s 2023 Gen Z and Millennial survey revealed.

The survey showed that 71 percent of Filipino millennials (compared to 37% of global millennials) and 65 percent of Filipino Gen Zs (compared to 46% of global Gen Zs) have taken on either a part- or full-time paying job on top of their primary job – an increase from last year’s 61 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

When asked why they decided to take on a side gig, 66 percent of millennials and 56 percent of Gen Zs said they need a secondary source of income, while about 40 percent of both generational groups believe their side job helps them develop important skills and relationships.

Indeed, more than half of Filipino millennials (58%) and Gen Zs (59%) admit to living paycheck to paycheck and worry they won’t be able to cover their expenses. Their peers around the world aren’t faring any better: 52 percent of global millennials and 51 percent of global Gen Zs are in the same boat. And if the economy does not improve in the next 12 months, 6 out of 10 Filipino millennials and Gen Zs believe it will become harder or impossible for them to get a new job.

This need to supplement their paycheck appears to be having a negative impact on these young workers: 66 percent of Filipino millennials (compared to 63% last year) and 81 percent of Filipino Gen Zs (compared to 70% last year) feel burned out due to the intensity and demands of their workloads. As with last year, more Filipino millennials (49%) and Gen Zs (63%) report feeling anxious or stressed all or most of the time compared to their global peers.

“These results reflect the economic uncertainty millennials and Gen Zs find themselves in as the world continues to recover from the global pandemic. And while these young workers are leaning on their resourcefulness to stay afloat, organizations can play a big part in ensuring the financial well-being of their employees. Especially during this period of high inflation, organizations can look at offering flexible benefits such as those relating to health care or commuting costs to ease the impact of soaring prices on workers,” said Eric Landicho, Managing Partner and CEO of Deloitte Philippines.

Another area where organizations can provide support is in caring for the mental health of employees. On this front, it appears Philippine companies have taken to heart the lessons learned during the height of the pandemic. Nearly 80 percent of Filipino millennials (78%) and Gen Zs (79%) either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “My employer takes the mental health of employees seriously and has policies/resources designed to help.” And more than 80 percent (87% for Filipino millennials, 82% for Filipino Gen Zs) acknowledge that an increased focus on mental health at work has led to positive changes within their workplaces.

Millennials and Gen Zs have also identified specific areas organizations could focus on to improve work/life balance: more than 40 percent of Filipino millennials and Gen Zs would like to see their organizations create more job-sharing options, while about 40 percent would like businesses to ensure that part-time employees have comparable career advancement.

When it comes to where they get their work done, millennials and Gen Zs seem determined to resist a return to full-time on-site work: 76 percent of Filipino millennials and 81 percent of Gen Zs say they would consider looking for a new job if their employer asks them to return to the office full-time. About half of the Filipino survey respondents would prefer to either work fully remote or have full choice over whether they work remotely or on-site. Less than 10 percent of Filipino millennials (9%) and Gen Zs (7%) prefer to work completely on-site.

Values-based decisions

Despite their financial concerns, millennials and Gen Zs are not forgetting their values when it comes to making career decisions. The survey showed that more than 60 percent of Filipino millennials and Gen Zs say they have rejected an assignment based on their personal ethics or beliefs, while more than 50 percent have rejected a potential employer for the same reason.

Notably, the survey showed that compared to their global peers, more Filipino Gen Zs and Millennials feel empowered to drive change within their workplaces.

When it comes to their ability to drive positive change at work, Filipino millennials and Gen Zs are significantly more optimistic than their global peers: 90 percent of Filipino millennials (vs. 55% of millennials globally) and 89 percent of Filipino Gen Zs (vs. 58% of Gen Zs globally) believe they have the power to drive change and that their organization seeks input from employees and incorporates feedback. In some areas, the dialogue between employer and employees appears to be bearing fruit.

About half of Filipino millennials and Gen Zs are very satisfied with their organization’s DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts, compared to just 28 percent of global millennials and 33 percent of global Gen Zs. Regarding their organization’s societal impact, 36 percent of Filipino millennials (vs. 26% of millennials globally) and 46 percent of Filipino Gen Zs (vs. 30% of Gen Zs globally) are very satisfied.

“As we’ve seen in our survey throughout the years, these two generational cohorts put a premium on authenticity, and that includes adhering to their personal beliefs across all aspects of their life. To see that they have confidence in their ability to influence their workplaces based on those beliefs and that they are advancing in certain areas are good signs not just for millennial and Gen Z workers, but also for the organizations that are looking to attract them and prepare them for leadership. Keeping millennials and Gen Zs engaged in shaping organizational culture and values will be key to maintaining cohesion in a world of work that is looking increasingly borderless, flexible, and unpredictable,” said Landicho.

The 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey solicited the views of 14,483 Gen Zs and 8,373 millennials (22,000 respondents in total) from 44 countries across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. In the Philippines, 321 Gen Zs and 109 millennials were polled (430 respondents in total). Fieldwork was conducted between November and December 2022. As defined in the study, Gen Z respondents were born between January 1995 and December 2004, and millennial respondents were born between January 1983 and December 1994.