Everyone’s feeling the economic upturn — except for Boomers

Americans are finally starting to feel like the economy is on their side.

That’s according to new data released today by Udemy, revealing that Americans feel more secure and stable than they have in years. Eighty-three percent of the 1,000 workers surveyed felt very or somewhat secure in their current jobs.

Everyone is feeling the love – except Baby Boomers, that is. While nearly 8 in ten Millennials believe they’ll see a salary increase this year, only 58 percent of Boomers are optimistic they’ll see the same. Some other generational gaps:

• Baby Boomers are even less likely to ask for a salary increase. While nearly 30 percent of Millennials asked for a salary increase in the last six months, only six percent of Baby Boomers asked for a raise.
• Millennials are earning more each year. More than 85 percent of the younger generation made more in 2014 than in 2013, compared to just two-thirds of Boomers.

It’s not only that Millennials are feeling the economic upswing. They’re also the most likely to embrace new ways of making money. Millennials continue to explore freelance work and many have second jobs  to supplement their incomes. Nearly half of Millennial respondents said they worked a second job last year versus just a quarter of Boomers.

The newest generation of workers is bringing a “do whatever it takes” attitude to the workforce, which is echoed in their passion for entrepreneurship: 69 percent of Millennials feel the country and economy would be better off with more self-employment. In a recent Pew Research survey, it found Millennials are the largest group in the workforce and that number reflects the steady growth of freelancers – around one million new freelancers each year for the past decade.

While the survey shows the Boomer generation slowing down, Millennial workers are approaching their careers with an optimistic attitude and an eagerness to constantly learn, grow and strive for greater opportunities.