Randstad Report : Gen Z is ambitious, restless – and changing Canada’s labour market.

Montreal, October 14, 2025 – Gen Z is stepping into the workforce with confidence, ambition, and a clear vision of what work should look like. But with fewer entry-level opportunities, rising expectations, and rapid technological change, Canadian employers face a new challenge: how to attract, engage, and retain a generation that is simultaneously future-focused and in transition.

Randstad Canada’s latest report, The Gen Z Workplace Blueprint: Future-Focused, Fast-Moving, sheds light on how these young professionals are reshaping career paths, work dynamics, and employer expectations. Drawing on a survey of 11,250 workers globally - including 750 in Canada - and an analysis of over 126 million job postings worldwide, the findings reveal a nuanced picture :

key findings

• Ambition meets anxiety: 41% of Gen Z don’t feel confident they could find another job, yet one in three plan to leave their current role within a year. The attrition rate is the highest of any generation, with 22% having already left a job in the past 12 months.
• No loyalty, just career growth: Average tenure in the first five years is just 1.1 years, compared to 1.8 for Millennials and 2.9 for Boomers, reflecting a desire for clear career progression rather than aimless job-hopping.
  Fewer entry-level opportunities: Global postings for roles requiring 0–2 years’ experience are down 29 percentage points since January 2024, with tech down 35%, logistics 25%, and finance 24%, reshaping traditional pathways into the workforce.
  The AI paradox: 75% of Gen Z use AI to learn new skills, 55% use it at work, and 50% use it in job searches—but nearly half (46%) worry about its long-term impact. Access to formal AI training is uneven, with men (46%) and white-collar workers (50%) more likely to receive it than women (38%) or operational roles (35%).
• Side hustles reshape careers: In Canada, many are actively seeking additional income streams to gain experience, diversify income, and exert greater control over their career growth. Only 45% of Gen Z currently work a single full-time role while one in four would prefer to combine full-time work. Flexibility stands out as a defining priority, with 48% citing flexible hours and 39% citing flexible location as top drivers in their ideal job setup.

turning mobility into an advantage

When it comes to retention, Canadian Gen Z workers are clear on the top incentives to stay long term : better pay (54%), improved benefits (23%) and more flexible working hours (23%). Yet, short tenures remain the norm and among those who left a role within a year, the main reasons were low pay (51%), poor workplace culture (41%) and lack of progression opportunities (34%).

Rather than indicating disloyalty or casual job-hopping, this movement reflects unmet ambition and a search for clear career progression, purpose, and growth opportunities : 37% say they always make decisions based on long-term career goals, while nearly half (49%) balance their future ambitions with short-term needs like salary and work-life balance. Employers who recognize this reality and reframe mobility as an asset can turn Gen Z’s drive into a leadership advantage, retaining talent while fueling innovation.

recommendations for employers

To attract, engage, and retain Gen Z talent, employers should consider strategic changes:

• Redesign entry-level roles: Treat early-career positions as stepping stones to skill development (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration) rather than routine tasks.
  Provide clear and visible career paths: Map progression paths, offer regular feedback, and reward growth to build confidence in long-term development.
• Integrate learning into growth strategies: Offer upskilling opportunities that are practical, tech-focused, and include AI training.
• Ensure equitable access to skills: AI and other learning opportunities must be available to all, closing gaps between men and women, and white-collar and operational roles.
  Build trust and align values: Cultivate a culture that supports flexibility, purpose and growth, all essential to earning loyalty.
• Collaborate with talent: Involve Gen Z in defining career paths and creating work environments where they feel heard, supported, and engaged.

advice for gen Z

For young workers navigating a rapidly changing labour market, the following approaches can help maximize growth and opportunity:

• Stay proactive and agile: Use side hustles, AI tools, and learning agility to diversify experience, income, and career control.
• Leverage AI as a competitive advantage: Learning new skills and optimizing job searches with AI can differentiate candidates in a competitive market.
• Request growth early: Actively seek feedback and co-create development plans with managers.
• Recognize your value: Even with gaps in experience, fast learning and technology skills are strong assets.
• Seize opportunities to demonstrate impact: Engage in projects that highlight unique, non-automatable skills.
• Build resilience and networks: Find mentors, track achievements, and cultivate peer networks to thrive in challenging environments.

For more information on how employers and Gen Z talent can work together to redefine career paths, visit Randstad Canada’s website.