87% of Gen Z Workers Feel Unprepared to Succeed in the Workforce
Rhea Kelly
October 28, 2025
A new survey from Instructure explores how prepared people feel to navigate today’s workforce, utilize digital tools, and adapt to change. For its State of Learning and Readiness Report, the company surveyed 1,210 employed U.S. adults ages 18 and older, in partnership with The Harris Poll, paying particular attention to generational differences in perceived readiness.
Overall, 70% of U.S. workers said they feel unprepared to succeed. And a striking 87% of Gen Z workers — the newest generation in the workforce, as the report points out — feel unprepared to succeed, citing limited guidance, unclear paths from school to career, and uncertainty about which skills and credentials matter most. In contrast, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers reported higher levels of confidence.
