But Gen Z is ditching that workplace ideal. A new study from workforce management firm Deputy entitled “The Big Shift 2026” found that poly-employment, or what the firm calls as working multiple jobs simultaneously, has hit its highest point in over a decade. The study—drawing from more than 41 million shifts and 268 million hours worked—finds Gen Z is leading the way in poly-employment, composing more than half (55%) of those engaged in the practice.

While many workers are turning to poly-employment to supplement their income among economic uncertainty and rising cost-of-living pressures, the data reveals a growing divide between those forced into it and those choosing independence, as more workers are intentionally seeking multiple roles to gain the flexible and self-directed work they increasingly prioritize. It’s also a deliberate switch from an ongoing trend of overemployment, or holding multiple full-time jobs, that still keeps a person tied to their desk. While that practice does come with a higher take-home pay, it doesn’t offer the flexibility Gen Z is looking for. According to Deputy CEO Silvija Martincevic, for Gen Z, the shift is as much cultural as it is economic, a deliberate break from the traditional workforce they watched chain their parents to the golden handcuffs of a 9-to-5 job.

“Gen Z’s approach to work is also a reaction to what they saw growing up—long hours, loyalty to a single employer, and then the shock of the 2008 financial crisis,” Martincevic told Fortune in a written statement. “That’s shaped a mindset focused on hedging risk rather than relying on one job for stability.”

For many Gen Zers, it feels as though the walls of the labor market are closing in. The unemployment rate of recent college graduates has surpassed that of all workers, according to New York Federal Reserve Bank data. Squeezed out of traditional roles, many in the generation have leaned into unconventional work habits as a workaround. Some are considering forgoing their college degree to embrace the trades. Job-hopping, or cycling through roles after short stints, has become one coping mechanism. Poly-employment seems to have become another.

And yet, even when Gen Z does land a role, keeping it has proven difficult. A recent study from Intelligent.com found that six in 10 bosses have fired Gen Z employees just months after hiring them, citing a lack of initiative, unprofessional behavior, poor organization, and weak communication skills. That pattern is feeding a cycle that pushes more young workers away from traditional employment and toward the patchwork arrangements of poly-employment.

How Gen Z poly-workers are using AI and why others are fighting it

As more Gen Zers take on poly-employment, AI is playing a role for those bullish on the technology. The study noted a significant difference among Gen Z poly-employed workers. The research finds that those who hold a full-time role while also juggling other roles are more likely to be “poly-advantaged,” or what the workforce management firm describes as “AI-advantaged” individuals who lean on AI to work efficiently to manage the multiple hats they wear.

“AI unlocks predictable schedules, which in turn support more flexible work arrangements,” Martincevic said. “Nearly 75% of shift workers say AI helps them leave on time, underscoring its role in improving efficiency and scheduling.” 

But the technology cuts both ways. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could soon wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar roles, further narrowing the already thin slice of the job market available to new graduates.

The research also found those who intentionally work multiple part-time gigs without holding a full-time position also tend to be more AI-resistant. For these workers opting for poly-employment, AI appears as a threat which can automate the precarious positions they juggle. Gen Z workers are particularly resistant to using AI in the workplace, as a recent study from AI enterprise platform Writer found 44% of Gen Z workers are intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout.

Whether Gen Z embraces or resists AI, poly-employment is offering young workers a sense of control where a sense of control is increasingly in short supply.

“The rise in poly-employment doesn’t signal a weakening job market—it reflects a workforce being reshaped by both economic and generational pressure,” Martincevic said.