Poll Reveals: What Young Job Seekers Fear Most About 2026

If you ask young adults how they are feeling about the year ahead, you tend to get a blend of optimism, calculation, and a low-level anxiety about what comes next, often within the same sentence. 

Careerminds’ survey of 3,011 Americans aged 18–25 reveals that this unease isn’t abstract. The worries themselves are practical. 

Respondents pointed to job security, how fast workplaces are changing, and whether entry-level roles still lead anywhere solid.

Most were confident in their own abilities, but less sure about the economy they’re stepping into, leaving a background sense of anxiety about work, money, and what comes next.

Across the state rankings, the spread of optimism tells its own story.

Nevada tops the list at 6.8, followed closely by a cluster of upbeat states like Georgia, Texas, South Dakota, and Wyoming — all places where young workers seem to sense genuine economic movement. 

The middle of the table is packed with states sitting between 5 and 6, suggesting a kind of cautious steadiness rather than real confidence. 

But at the bottom end, the drop is sharp: Delaware, Rhode Island, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Iowa all post scores below 3.8, reflecting a feeling that opportunities are thinning out faster than young people can grab them.

Almost half of young people (48%) say negative news about automation has directly influenced their career path. 

That’s a huge share of the population who, by most definitions, are still at the “dreaming big” stage. It shows that AI anxiety isn’t theoretical anymore.

Among respondents who are currently employed, 32% don’t expect to be in stable work by late 2026. 

You would normally expect this age group to feel invincible, but instead, they are bracing for turbulence — layoffs, restructures, or simply being replaced by “tools that work faster.” 

A full 66% say rising expenses have already forced them to adapt their career choices – not “might force,” but have. 

It suggests that financial pressure is no longer a background worry but a defining feature of early adulthood. 

When saving for the future is the top motivator for 32%, it starts to make sense: financial freedom is now aspirational, not assumed.

More than a third (36%) think they’ll “very likely” need a second job in 2026 just to afford basic costs. This isn’t about entrepreneurial spirit — it’s budgeting. 

When a quarter of respondents say financial independence is their top motivator for working, the appeal of having two income streams becomes obvious.

For 32%, the biggest motivator for finding work next year is saving for major life milestones — travel, education, a future home. 

Only 11% listed résumé-building as their main priority. Whether that’s a response to economic uncertainty or a cultural shift, it shows young adults are planning around stability rather than prestige.

A surprisingly grounded finding: 64% say the job market is not rigged against them. This doesn’t mean they are carefree — only 8% said they are not worried at all — but it does suggest a resilient streak. 

The numbers reveal a generation that’s not defeated, just extremely alert. They are watching AI, inflation, and job stability with the kind of vigilance previous generations didn’t need at age 25. 

Yet despite the widespread anxiety, our survey data show evidence that young people are willing to adapt rather than retreat. 

If anything, Gen Z isn’t pessimistic — they are pragmatic. And in an economy that keeps shifting the goalposts, pragmatism may be their strongest asset.

For many young workers, the issue isn’t a lack of ambition but instead of visibility. When it’s unclear what skills actually lead somewhere, how roles change over time, or what progress is supposed to look like, even motivated people hesitate. 

Clear, well-defined career pathways can make a real difference here — not by promising certainty, but by giving people something concrete to plan against. 

In an environment that feels increasingly volatile, that kind of structure helps turn caution into intention rather than paralysis.

This study is based on a national survey of 3,011 U.S. workers, designed to measure how optimistic people feel about their careers as they move into 2026. Respondents rated their outlook on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 representing the least optimism and 10 the highest. The sample was structured to capture a balanced mix of ages, genders, industries, and regions, ensuring the results reflect the diversity of the American workforce. To strengthen reliability, the research employed stratified sampling to represent key demographic groups, followed by post-stratification weighting to bring the data in line with national workforce benchmarks. Conducted in December 2025, the survey offers a timely reading of worker sentiment and expectations for the year ahead.