In the United States, three out of four young people have decided: they prefer to work in a hospital rather than in a large tech company
Lately, more young American grads seem to be leaving the tech scene and eyeing careers in healthcare. This change in career dreams comes from worries about job security and how automation might shake things up (basically, how robots could replace certain jobs). As work life transforms, it’s useful to know what’s going on for both industries and job hunters.
Decline of tech’s appeal
Once seen as the ultimate career perk for young pros, the tech world is starting to lose its charm. For example, Google dropped from landing the 4th spot for desirability in 2022 to the 7th by 2024. Amazon and Apple also saw their rankings slide. Even more striking, SpaceX tumbled from 9th to 22nd place. These shifts mirror growing worries about job security in tech.
Recent years have brought big layoffs and a lot of turnover at top tech companies, creating an unstable vibe. Big names in the industry, like leaders at NVIDIA and AWS, have even talked about how programming skills might soon be outdated thanks to rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI). The expectation that many tech roles could be taken over by automation only fuels these concerns.
Generation z’s changing priorities
For Generation Z, having a stable paycheck is the name of the game. A study by Networks Trends shows that stability tops the list for 76% of students when picking a career. Other important bits include where the company is based (75%), its reputation (72%), and the salary offered (71%). Plus, half of those surveyed are worried about burnout and toxic workplaces (in other words, they really don’t want a stressful work environment).
According to the firm What’s The Big Data, Gen Z is all about finding steady work in these shaky economic times. This means lots of young grads are rethinking their career plans, leaning toward industries that promise reliable paychecks as well as long-term security.
Healthcare: a safe bet
With tech looking a bit shaky, healthcare is emerging as a more attractive choice for many young grads. Unlike tech roles that might soon see big changes thanks to AI, jobs in healthcare are viewed as safer because they rely on the human touch. Careers in medicine and nursing are seen as less likely to be automated (making them a more dependable option).
And it’s not just happening in the United States. In Spain, enrollments in health and social services have steadily increased from 2018 to 2024, as noted in the “Employability of Youth in Spain 2024” study by the CYD Foundation. Even though there’s still a need for tech and engineering talent, the growing interest in healthcare partly stems from Spain’s aging population that’s calling for more skilled healthcare workers.
What this means for future jobs
The shift in what young grads want could totally change what makes a career field appealing to upcoming generations. Tech companies that see fewer minds interested in their field might need to rethink how they attract talent—maybe by beefing up job security and making their work environments more stable.
With young grads placing a premium on finding real meaning and long-lasting stability over flashy innovation or sky-high salaries, industries might need to adjust their game plans to keep up. Both individuals and companies will have to pay close attention to these changing priorities—after all, the choices made now are setting the stage for how work will look in the years to come.