When it comes to key industries driving the U.S. economy, most Millennials aren’t interested. They would rather work in the arts, technology or education.
According to new research released by The Hartford, key industries driving the U.S. economy, including retail, construction and manufacturing, are failing to attract a giant generation of leaders – the 80 million Millennials (ages 18-34) in the United States.
The Hartford says 80 percent of Millennials consider themselves as leaders today and 69 percent want to be leaders in the next five years, according to The Hartford’s 2015 Millennial Leadership Survey.
Arts and entertainment topped the Millennials’ work wish list, with 40 percent of Gen Y survey participants saying they want to work in this industry. Second on the list was education at 36 percent, and technology at 36 percent.
Only 7 percent of young leaders in the third annual survey said they are interested in working in construction, retail or manufacturing. Other industries that rated low on the Gen Y work wish list are insurance, which 4 percent of Millennials said they’re drawn to, and wholesaling and utilities at 3 percent each.
“The results reveal a quiet crisis – a generation of leaders who aren’t interested in many businesses that drive our nation’s economy,” said The Hartford’s Millennial Workplace Expert Lindsey Pollak. “Millennials can help close this leadership gap by widening their career searches and exploring jobs, salaries and benefits before writing off whole sectors of the U.S. job market.”
The top way to recruit Gen Y employees is providing a variety of career opportunities, according to 46 percent of the survey participants in the national poll. Additional recruiting tips from Millennials include offering:
- Flexible work schedules (43 percent)
- Benefits, such as health, life, and disability insurance (40 percent); and
- Career advancement and leadership opportunities (33 percent).
