Gen Z-ers would rather work for Deliveroo than join the Army - and expect to be paid £55,000 by the time they turn 30, study shows
Gen Z would rather work for Deliveroo than the Armed Forces and also expect to be bringing home a salary of £55,000 by the time they are 30, new research finds.
Gen Z would rather work for Deliveroo than the Armed Forces and also expect to be bringing home a salary of £55,000 by the time they are 30, new research finds.
A survey of nearly 2,000 people aged between 15 and 27 by insights company Prograd revealed Gen Z would prefer to be delivery drivers rather than serve in the Army.
The shocking results showed that the Royal Navy, British Army, Deliveroo and the Royal Air Force ranked fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in jobs least desired by youngsters.
The least popular employer overall were fast food companies such as KFC and McDonalds, with many respondents not keen to get in the kitchen any time soon.
However the most attractive employers to the young generation were tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Apple.
Gen Z would rather work for Deliveroo than Armed Forces and expect to be bringing home a salary of £55,000 by the time they are 30, new research finds (file image)
The failure to recruit soldiers has been blamed on the MODs partnership with outsourcing company Capita (stock photo)
It comes as the Army is expected to have fewer than 70,000 trained soldiers next year, while naval vessels have been tied up alongside due to a lack of sailors to man them.
The figure – set against a backdrop of conflict in Europe and the Middle East – represents a loss of 5,000 troops in two years and 10,000 in five years.
In recent years, the Army has shed soldiers at an unprecedented rate, and by default rather than design. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the gradual reduction in numbers was managed. When, in 2015, the target size of the Army was set at 82,000 this was expected to be relatively easy to maintain, through recruitment and retention.
However, this target was never met and by January 2021 the strength of the Army was just 76,300 trained troops.
Two months later, the Ministry of Defence announced, to widespread dismay, that the Army would be scaled back to 72,500 by 2025 as a cost-saving measure.
Despite the requirement for fewer soldiers, the Army has repeatedly missed recruitment targets – while increasing numbers of trained troops cut short their military careers over issues such as low pay and poor housing.
Earlier this year, it emerged the Army lost a staggering 70 per cent of its potential recruits due to delays in the recruitment process. While eager candidates were also rejected over obscure and often irrelevant medical issues.
Todays Army is the smallest since the Napoleonic era.
The figure – set against a backdrop of conflict in Europe and the Middle East – represents a loss of 5,000 troops in two years and 10,000 in five years
Recruits undergo training at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines on December in Lympstone
The least popular employer overall were fast food companies such as KFC and McDonalds, with many respondents not keen to get in the kitchen any time soon (file image)
Whilst the survey revealed young people did not deem a career in the Army as desirable also concluded they preferred working for the private sector.
Among the 20 least popular jobs were police force, fire and rescue service, the coastguard and UK schools, whilst private brands such as BMW and Netflix were deemed more attractive.
Research also found that over half of Gen Z-ers put salary and benefits as well as financial stability over being passionate about their job role.
Their salary expectations were found to be far higher than the UK average, with many hopting to earn £55,510 by 30 and £87,054 by 50.
The average UK salary for 22 to 29-years-old standing at £30,340, with 49-year-old taking home an annual salary of £40,040, the ONS reports.
Clarissa Muzariri, 18, from London told the Telegraph: Lets face it, passion doesnt pay the bills, and with costs continuing to rise, we want careers that help us achieve the lifestyle we want.
Big tech companies not only pay well, but they are also places that can give people exciting careers.
She added: If companies dont listen to what young people want, they are going to struggle to attract and hold on to young talent.
Marco Logiudice, co-founder at Prograd, said the results showed Gen Zs desires go further than what they value.
He added: Gen Z want high salaries, career progression, job security and positive work environments.
Companies that dont adapt to the needs of this generation risk missing out on the talent that will shape the future success.
