Asked how they would judgecareer success, 44 percent said it's the amount of money they make,while 35 percent said it's how quickly they'll advance up theladder. (Photo: iStock)

After years of intense focus on millennials, attention is beginning to shift toGeneration Z or iGen, the group of people who are just now enteringthe workforce in the early 20's.

Like their millennial predecessors, Generation Zers are presumedto be exceedingly comfortable with technology and interested inflexible, fun work. However, also likemillennials, young people today are not necessarily willing todismiss conventional employment concerns –– job stability,benefits, good pay –– in favor of flexibility.

A survey of 3,400 members of Gen Z across a dozencountries by the Workforce Institute and Kronos Incorporated findsthat youngsters are interested in gig work, but most are hesitantto forfeit the stability that comes with a traditional job.

Related: Benefits for gig workers: What's holding employersback?

Forty-six percent said that job stability is "very important,"while 91 percent described it as at least "somewhat important."

Twenty-seven percent say they expect their first full-time jobto last less than two years.

Asked how they would judge career success, 44 percent said it'sthe amount of money they make, while 35 percent said it's howquickly they'll advance up the ladder.

Only one-third of Gen Zers say they wouldn't put up with anemployer who didn't allow workers to have a say in their schedule.Only a quarter of all respondents said that they would work longerand harder at a company that provides scheduling flexibility.

Of the 10 percent of those surveyed work full-time in the gigeconomy and 18 percent do gig work part-time, nearly half (47percent) say they would prefer a full-time job.

Defining the gig economy is difficult. The icons of the term aresharing economy services, such as Uber and Lyft, but it can alsorefer to freelance work, which has always existed but has been madeeasier by the internet.

Uber and Lyft have been touted as convenient ways for workers tosupplement their income, pay for school or pursue their dreams asartists. Despite their wild popularity, neither company is close toprofitable: Uber reported $5 billion lost last quarter and Lyftreported more than $600 million of losses.

Furthermore, in a recent column in the Wall Street Journal,University of Texas Finance Professor Ken Wiles and Kep Sweeney, abusiness consultant, argued that whatever drivers earn from Uberbarely makes up for what they lose on fuel, maintenance and, mostnotably, the depreciation in the value of their vehicle. Theauthors likened Uber's business model to payday lending.

Thus, it's worth asking whether the gig economy will even bethere for Gen Z, regardless of their preferences.

Read more: 

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