Young Americans are more pessimistic about jobs than their parents—and no advanced economy has ever seen this kind of divide

For years, younger Americans have been more optimistic about the job market than older Americans, even through the depths of the Great Recession. But in an abrupt shift, a new poll released Monday finds young people’s confidence has plummeted over the past two years — while their elders remain more upbeat. The gap between young and older Americans’ views of the job market now is greater than in any other country among the 141 surveyed, according to the Gallup World Poll. In the United States, 43% of those aged 15-34 believe it’s “a good time” to find a job in the area where they live, well below the 64% of those aged 55 and over who say the same. Around the world, it’s the opposite. Globally, the median share of younger people who say it’s “a good time” to find work in their local job market is 48%, compared with 38% among older people. The findings reveal a generational rift in Americans’ views of economic opportunity, with young people feeling increasingly downtrodden about job prospects, while older people still largely think it’s a good time to find work. The schism is likely to continue fueling generational divides in politics, where younger voters have focused on economic issues such as housing costs and have registered less faith in institutions. “It’s an incredibly new phenomenon,” Benedict Vigers of Gallup said of young Americans’ pessimism. He added that last year was the first time in Gallup’s decades of polling that young Americans were more pessimistic about the job market than their peers in other developed countries. “Has this happened in most other advanced economies? The answer is a resounding no.” Younger and older Americans differ on how easy it is to find a new job Young people, with fewer physical limitations and family responsibilities — along with an ability to adapt more quickly than older counterparts — normally are more optimistic about their ability to land work. But the new Gallup analysis finds the U.S