Generation Z breaks taboo: 49% choose work-life balance over salary

The Randstad Work Barometer 2025 reveals a fundamental generational shift - young employees are consciously sacrificing income for mental health.

German stress tolerance exceeds international average

German workers demonstrate an extraordinary willingness to work under pressure: 50 percent accept increased pressure for financial compensation - ten percentage points above the global average of 40 percent. However, these figures from the current "Pulse Survey" of the Randstad Work Barometer 2025 only reveal the surface of a deeper transformation.

"Salary motivates - but only if the stress doesn't get out of hand," analyzes Verena Menne, Director Group HR at Randstad Germany. Higher pay inevitably correlates with increased responsibility and the associated mental stress.

Age-related shift in priorities divides workforces

The generation-specific analysis reveals dramatic differences in the willingness to take risks: 49% of Generation Z have already sacrificed salary for a reduced workload by changing jobs. Millennials follow with 36 percent, while Generation X (29 percent) and baby boomers (19 percent) have significantly lower change rates.

"The younger generation in particular no longer puts mental stress at the back of their minds at work - when in doubt, they pull the ripcord, even if it hurts financially," explains Verena Menne. "For companies, this means that if you want to retain talent, you have to create working conditions that not only promote performance, but also health."

Internationally, these discrepancies are more moderate: 44 percent of Generation Z versus 34 percent of baby boomers have changed jobs due to stress.

Inflation compensation as a minimum standard

Despite work-life balance priorities, financial recognition remains crucial for employee loyalty. Inflation-adjusted salary adjustments motivate 59 percent of Generation Z, 67 percent of millennials, 74 percent of Generation X and 70 percent of baby boomers to remain loyal to their current employers.

"In times of economic uncertainty, employees take a closer look: Salary increases that don't even compensate for inflation are quickly perceived as a lack of appreciation. If you want to retain skilled workers, you have to offer both - financial security and a corporate culture that recognizes performance without jeopardizing health," emphasizes Verena Menne.

Job security dampens willingness to change jobs

Macroeconomic instability is fundamentally changing career strategies. Indeed surveys show that 55% of respondents were willing to change jobs at the beginning of the year - six percentage points less than in the previous year. Political and economic uncertainties are forcing one in five dissatisfied employees to stay in an unloved job. 44% of employees who remain despite their frustration justify their passivity with job security - a paradigm shift that fundamentally challenges traditional career mobility.