In addition, an analysis of jobs data showed that young workers were particularly vulnerable to job loss before the coronavirus outbreak, as they were overrepresented in high-risk service sector industries. This was significantly higher than the shares of Millennials (40%), Gen Xers (36%) and Baby Boomers (25%) who said the same. In a March 2020 Pew Research Center survey, half of the oldest Gen Zers (ages 18 to 23) reported that they or someone in their household had lost a job or taken a cut in pay because of the outbreak. There are already signs that the oldest Gen Zers have been particularly hard hit in the early weeks and months of the coronavirus crisis. Instead of looking ahead to a world of opportunities, Gen Z now peers into an uncertain future. That has all changed now, as COVID-19 has reshaped the country’s social, political and economic landscape. Unlike the Millennials – who came of age during the Great Recession – this new generation was in line to inherit a strong economy with record-low unemployment.

And their political clout will continue to grow steadily in the coming years, as more and more of them reach voting age. Born after 1996, most members of this generation are not yet old enough to vote, but as the oldest among them turn 23 this year, roughly 24 million will have the opportunity to cast a ballot in November. One-in-ten eligible voters in the 2020 electorate will be part of a new generation of Americans – Generation Z. Learn more about how we currently report on generations, and read tips for consuming generations research. Our approach to generational analysis has evolved to incorporate new considerations.

Millennial age range census