Gen Z after COVID: from crisis to hope

AI-generated image created with DALL·E (OpenAI)

Lenny van Reeth examines the pandemic’s impact on young people’s futures

From shuttered shops to quieter streets, COVID-19’s impact is still with us. Five years on, young people are still navigating disrupted schooling, an uncertain job market, and the ongoing cost of living crisis. But this isn’t just a story of loss, it’s also a story of innovation, resilience, and a generation stepping up to shape the future.

However this may not be possible. Nor may it be desirable. In fact, the pandemic may have marked the start of change for good with young people at the centre of change. We’re among the most active in global responses, advancing health and safety in their roles as innovators, activists, researchers, and communicators. As 2025 unfolds, young people are increasingly driving digital initiatives, climate activism, and flexible workplace norms that are reshaping our work world.

With many employees returning to communal workplaces, recent studies highlight the lasting appeal of flexible working. Research from the International Workplace Group finds that 80% of hybrid workers report a better work-life balance, with reduced stress and fewer sick days. Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics reports that people working partly from home save close to an hour daily on commuting. This time is often spent resting, exercising, or with family. These shifts have not only improved wellbeing for many, but also reshaped expectations of what a healthy, balanced working life can look like for generation.

With all this uncertainty, there are a few things that we can be fairly sure of. Here are four ways the coronavirus pandemic may shape your future as a young person.

1: Navigating job market challenges and opportunities
Job losses across the economy continue to affect young people disproportionately. Many entry-level and low-paid roles are at risk, especially those on insecure contracts. If you’re young, this will hurt you the most because when senior management decides which jobs are on the chopping block, it’s not theirs. Rather, those who are in low-paid, inexperienced jobs (often on zero-hour contracts) are going to face the brunt of this.

While job competition is still tough, there are growing opportunities in tech, green energy, and creative industries as sectors evolve post-pandemic.

If you are thinking of starting a job soon, it is important to plan ahead. Learning new skills, like a language, brushing up on digital technology, or gaining knowledge in areas such as data analysis and sustainability, can really help you stand out. You may also need to start somewhere unexpected, and that’s okay. Often, the best opportunities start in unexpected places. For practical advice tailored to young people entering the job market, visit The Prince’s Trust guide to finding a job.

2: Exploring new and unexpected career paths
It’s no secret that the pandemic has impacted society unevenly. The virus, unlike Boris Johnson’s claim, has not acted as a “great equaliser” but has brought inequalities to light, having a disproportionate impact on poorer and ethnic minority communities.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has impacted society unevenly. The virus has not acted as a “great equaliser” but has highlighted existing inequalities, with Black, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani groups still facing higher risks of death from COVID-19 compared to White people.

Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that age-standardised COVID-19 death rates remain higher for these groups, mainly due to factors such as job exposure, housing conditions, and pre-existing health disparities.

The pandemic also affected each sector of the economy differently. Hospitality, culture, and the arts were heavily impacted by social distancing, while online services and logistics such as Amazon and Ocado saw a major boost.

To get a job, it makes sense to broaden your horizons and think about how you can adapt your skills to other sectors. According to the latest ONS Labour Market reports, retail and wholesale trade employ about 14% of workers, but fewer than 3% of young people express interest in working in these sectors. These areas are worth exploring, alongside growing industries such as renewable energy, information technology, and the caring professions, which continue to expand and offer promising job opportunities for young people.

Your job might not end up where you originally hoped, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fulfilling. Many young people are already finding purpose in new or unexpected fields, proof that your path doesn’t have to be linear to be meaningful.

3: Embracing a more flexible work future
If you get a job in manufacturing, the kind of work you do probably won’t change much. But if you take an office job, your work life could change a lot.

During lockdown, many people worked from home, and some predicted that office-based work would disappear. That might be an exaggeration.

Working from your bedroom, kitchen, or with your laptop on an ironing board isn’t for everyone. For many, it makes separating work from life harder, and they miss the social side of being in an office.

Hybrid work models that combine home and office time are becoming more common and offer better balance for many workers.

Companies like Google are already offering more flexible work-from-home options, showing that the future of work will be more adaptable. This shift gives young workers more choice in shaping a work life that actually fits their wellbeing and values.

4: Preparing for changes in taxes and finances
Of all the things on your mind right now it’s unlikely that taxes are anywhere near the forefront. In fact, chances are, like myself, you’ve never paid any tax. However, in the next few years, it’s very likely that taxes will rise according to the Office for Budget Responsibility report.

Providing the necessary support for many affected by the pandemic and to prevent the economy going into a full-blown death spiral, the Office for Budget Responsibility report estimates that public sector borrowing will reach around £300 billion in this financial year. With little appetite for a return to austerity and budget cuts, it looks like taxes are going to be noticeably higher. You might end up paying more tax even if your income doesn’t go up much, because tax bands are staying the same while the cost of living keeps rising.

All of this makes for pretty gloomy reading, but on the flip side, there is real potential for positive change. Out of destruction comes the opportunity for creation. We could use this moment to diversify our economy, invest in green industries, address inequalities, and narrow down the wealth gap to create a stronger, fairer society.

Encouragingly, many businesses and governments are increasingly focused on building sustainable economies and investing in skills development for young people. This focus offers hope and real opportunities for the ‘coronavirus generation’.

By taking part in community activism and support, we can all begin to make changes at a local level. Young people have already led campaigns, organised local support networks, and used digital platforms to create real impact. Working together, we can help make the future a whole lot brighter. If there’s one thing this generation can do, it’s to band together, be adaptable, patient, supportive, and stay positive.

While the challenges facing the ‘coronavirus generation’ are real, so too is our potential to shape a brighter future. With resilience, creativity, and a spirit of collaboration, young people today are uniquely positioned to lead change across communities, industries, and society as a whole. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a step toward building a more inclusive, sustainable, and hopeful world.

We’re not just living through change, we’re leading it.