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

"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."

"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. 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."

"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."

""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.""

Young Americans have long been more optimistic about finding jobs than older Americans, including during the Great Recession. A new poll shows that optimism among ages 15–34 has dropped substantially over the past two years, while ages 55 and over remain more upbeat. In the United States, 43% of younger people say it is a good time to find a job locally, compared with 64% of older people. This gap is larger than in any other country surveyed by the Gallup World Poll. Globally, younger people are more optimistic than older people, with 48% versus 38%. The results indicate a generational rift in perceived economic opportunity that may continue shaping political divisions, especially as younger voters focus on economic issues like housing costs and show less faith in institutions.

Read at Fortune