For many Gen Z women, their futures don’t feel as straightforward as they did for women in previous generations. Young women no longer feel like they can have it all, juggling love lives and careers.
In many ways, Gen Z women have more freedom to choose their own paths in life, but having more freedom has also made those choices less forgiving. In a survey of 2,000 women aged 20-28 by Edubirdie, between focusing on a career or a love life, Gen Z women no longer feel like they can have both and are instead choosing the one that gives them financial independence.
Gen Z women feel forced to choose between career and love, and a survey shows they usually pick career.
The survey found that while 88% of Gen Zers describe themselves as ambitious, financial stress is forcing them to choose between their careers and their personal lives. One in four respondents believes that it’s impossible to climb the career ladder and build a loving relationship at the same time.
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If forced to choose, 59% pick career and financial security over romance. Avery Morgan, the CHRO at Edubirdie, explained, “Gen Z women may be the most ambitious generation we’ve ever seen—yet nearly two-thirds still feel life would be easier if they were men. And they have a point. Decades of feminist progress, and this is where we’re at: women used to sacrifice careers for love; now they sacrifice love for career.”
Most Gen Z women do crave the traditional route, including marriage and kids.
An estimated 47% of Gen Z women are single. But when the right person comes along, most choose to make it official. While Gen Z relationships are diverse, with 12% dating casually and 2% in situationships, 39% stick to traditional relationships.
While 23% want success and independence, and 13% would love the trophy-wife/housewife lifestyle. For 47%, the dream is a lot simpler: a loving marriage, a stable job, and a home full of kids. Many Gen Z women just want a job that pays the bills and gives them the independence to live their lives rather than consume all of their free time. At the same time, they want the comfort of a family and a home that they can build with a partner they love and trust.
However, there are some Gen Z women who aren’t thinking about kids at all, at least not at this point in their lives. In fact, they are taking measures early in life to ensure they can focus on their career while still giving themselves the option to change their minds later. In fact, 11% have already frozen or plan to freeze their eggs to make parenthood work around their career, and another 20% say they would if their finances allowed.
Gen Z is usually the least likely of all current generations to seek or form romantic connections.
According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 56% of Gen Z individuals reported being single, a share significantly higher than that of adults in previous generations at the same age. Experts have a couple of possible reasons.
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Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychologist, explained that it could be the increased reliance on social media, making face-to-face interactions seem unnecessary for many. Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a psychologist, also pointed out that Gen Z is choosing to prioritize their personal growth. Growing up with a heightened sense of the importance of emotional health, they’re choosing to invest more in their mental health and friendships rather than romance.
While the reasons can vary amongst Gen Zers, it doesn’t mean they aren’t trying to settle down. It just means that the thought of settling down doesn’t keep them up at night, and they would much rather live their lives and let love find them than dedicate all their energy to chasing it.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
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