Why Gen Z wants more office work

By the numbers: Fewer than a quarter (23%) of remote-capable Gen Z employees say they'd prefer fully remote work, compared with 35% among each older generation, according to Gallup's 2025 survey.

• And Gen Z is the most likely to want employees in the office more often.

State of play: Many say they've had enough of working from home, alone, possibly in their sweatpants.

Loneliness is a major driver of the shift back to the office: 27% of Gen Z workers say they felt lonely "a lot" of the previous day, nearly double Gen X and close to triple baby boomers, per Gallup.

• Career advancement is another. "As employers implicitly or even explicitly prioritize in-person workers for promotions and career opportunities, remote and hybrid workers are being left behind," Glassdoor researchers wrote in November.

What they're saying: "Older workers already have established relationships, so when they work hybrid or remote, they tend not to lose" them, Jim Harter, chief scientist for workplace management and wellbeing at Gallup, tells Axios.

• "Younger workers are still establishing those relationships in the workplace, and it's hard to do that from a distance."

Meanwhile, few Gen Z workers have young children, per Gallup, which may also make in-person work easier.

• More are now looking for love among the cubicles, Business Insider reports.

Zoom in: Chicago-based Danielle Callas, 26, says she recently switched from a remote gig to one that requires five days a week in the office.

• "At this stage in my life, I'm able to commit to an in-person role, and I saw it as something that could enhance the overall experience rather than detract from it," Callas tells Axios.
• "I'm learning faster than I would remotely, and there's a level of collaboration and momentum that's hard to replicate on video calls," Callas says, adding that she feels "more connected to the work and more confident that I'll be able to grow and move up in my career more quickly."

The other side: "My body has taken some time to adjust," Callas says. "Between commuting, meal prepping, exercising, and getting ready for the office, there's simply less flexible time than before."

The big picture: On social media, some twenty-somethings say cutting back on remote work boosted their mental health and productivity. Others say the freedom of WFH still outweighs the tradeoffs.

• One particular debate went viral in December: Which is better, a $240,000 in-office job or a $120,000 one at home?

Reality check: Working entirely in-person remains the least popular option across generations, Gallup polling shows. Hybrid is the clear winner.

• That hasn't stopped a growing number of major companies from calling in employees five days a week.

What we're watching: "2026 is going to be excessively girlboss 2.0," says Emily Sundberg, author of the popular business newsletter Feed Me.

• Case in point: Pinterest searches for "chic cubicle decor" surged over 1,500% between April and June last year, according to internal data.