Many Gen Zers in their 'decisive decade' are leaving school and struggling to find work. They're part of America's disconnected youth.

More Americans are becoming “disconnected youths” — Gen Zers that aren’t participating in school or work. Lourdes Balduque / Getty Images

• More Gen Zers are “disconnected youths,” meaning they’re not employed or enrolled in school.
• People between the ages of 14 and 24 are in their “decisive decade.”
• This decade can determine an adult’s economic and social outcomes.

Young Americans are feeling increasingly isolated from their offices and classrooms, and these “disconnected youth” — or “opportunity youth” — may be ill-positioned for the future.

People between the ages of 14 and 24 are in their “decisive decade,” Brookings Institution researchers wrote in a report published in April. This period in life is marked by major milestones such as graduation, relocations, new jobs, and formative relationships.

Yet, the report found that more young people today are struggling with their mental health and feeling financially unstable than prior generations. Fewer are enrolling in school, while more are dropping out after enrolling. That’s because Gen Zers’ teenage and young adult years have been shaped by the pandemic and widespread income inequality.

Richard Reeves, a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings who co-authored the report, said in a Monday panel the decisive decade, along with socioeconomic circumstances, can determine young Americans’ social and economic stability in adulthood.

“Rather than thinking this period is like a conveyor belt that you just get onto at 14 and drop off again at 24, it’s more like a series of stepping stones,” Reeves said. “The ability to successfully transition across these stepping stones is highly important for what kind of follows in terms of people’s life chances.”

Gen Zers who hit adolescence during the pandemic are especially vulnerable, per the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Loneliness and a tough job market are leaving many Gen Zers feeling stuck, isolated, and unsupported. In fact, they’re members of the disconnected youth — defined as Gen Zers who are not in school and not working.

Some have disenrolled or taken a break from school, while others have graduated but aren’t employed. Nearly 4.7 million young people were disconnected in 2021, according to research firm Measure of America.

Several of these Gen Zers told Business Insider that they’re actively looking for work but live in lower-opportunity areas where jobs are sparse, adult support is limited, and mental health resources are few and far between.

“There are these stepping stones that are quite difficult, quite slippery, but some people have someone on each side helping them across those stepping stones,” Reeves said. “Others are supposed to do it on their own.”

Disconnected youth are at risk of long-term stagnation

Most Gen Zers — who are between the ages of 12 and 27 — are in this decisive decade. For young people in this age group, their living circumstances have major implications for their long-term health, happiness, and economic stability, the Brookings report found.

Researchers analyzed education and employment benchmarks for Americans between the ages of 14 and 24 based on data pulled from the 2015-2019 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

These benchmarks included enrollment in 9th grade with a 2.0 GPA or higher, high school graduation with a 2.0 GPA or higher, college enrollment or full-time employment three years after graduating from high school, and enrollment or work at the age of 24. The researchers chose to stop their analysis in 2019 since the pandemic disrupted enrollment, work, and living arrangement patterns.

The data shows that just 60% of young adults met these four milestone indicators. Brookings researchers said this has much to do with their family income level.

For instance, young people living in higher-opportunity areas during their teenage years might have better upward mobility as adults. Researchers said they are also more likely to enroll in higher education and land better-paying jobs.

At 21, Brookings found that 94% of those in the highest socioeconomic group — defined as the top quintile of income-earning households — are enrolled in school or working, compared to 78% for the lowest socioeconomic group, including the lowest quintile households. By the time young adults turn 24, just 31% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 58% work full time.

This education gap impacts future income: National Center for Education Statistics data shows that 25-to-34-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree earned $61,600 a year, compared to $39,700 for those with just a high school diploma.

Researchers also said gender, race, and family circumstances shape young Americans’ financial futures.

Only half of Black young adults work full-time, compared to 62% of white young adults — and Black, Hispanic, and Asian students have lower rates of school enrollment and employment than white students. Additionally, the report found that young women are less likely to be employed by age 24 than young men.

Researchers said isolation is another contributor to the disconnected youth phenomenon. More Gen Zers live at home than previous generations, and many are experiencing higher levels of loneliness.

Data from the World Happiness Report suggests that young Americans are overall not satisfied with their lives — young adults in North America reported some of the lowest levels of life satisfaction in years, ranking 62nd out of 143 countries for this age group.

Disconnected youth are at greater risk of disability, homelessness, substance abuse, and involvement with the criminal justice system, per the Brookings report.

How to help disconnected youth

Although many disconnected youth struggle with school and work, researchers cautioned against a “one size fits all” solution. Reeves said there are many paths toward success for young people — not every student will succeed in the same higher education or career path.

“It’s quite clear from this that there both is not and should not be one narrow track to success, but we should think in terms of opportunity pluralism,” Reeves said.

Jonathan Zaff, a research professor in applied human development at Boston University, said the key to helping young Americans is building adult mentorship networks that provide Gen Zers with opportunities. He also suggested schools invest in lifting students’ financial and mental burdens, such as providing free or reduced lunch and bus fares.

Some schools are already taking steps to help students be more social and engaged, including investing in mentorship and peer-support programs.

Ian Rowe, senior fellow at the nonprofit policy research firm American Enterprise Institute, said that at his Bronx-based Vertex Partnership Academies, students have a “pastoral connection” three times a day with a teacher who connects with students beyond lessons. He said his school also restricts phones and AirPods during the day so students can better connect with each other.

“People avoid talking to strangers even though it makes them happy,” said Lara Aknin, an editor at the World Happiness Report. “People gain so much intimacy, warmth, and happiness from having deep conversations with others, but we shy away from doing that.”

She suggested using study groups in schools to foster more regular, in-person contact between students.

Zaff added that young adults need scaffolding to stay connected — whether that means having people at school to help them fill out a FAFSA form or being offered apprenticeship opportunities in high school. He said that adults are important in supporting young people as they make decisions about their lives and futures.

“We want to make sure that young people feel empowered to exact the agency that we know they have,” Zaff said.

Are you a Gen Zer who isn’t employed or enrolled in school? Are you a parent of disconnected youths? Reach out to these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

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