The data: Seventy percent of Gen Z healthcare workers are planning to search for a new role in the next year, compared with 64% of millennials, 49% of Gen Xers, and 31% of baby boomers, according to a June-July Harris Poll for Strategic Education. At the same time, 95% of Gen Z healthcare workers say job stability and long-term security are important, per Harris. Healthcare workers in this survey included doctors and nurses, alongside other full-time healthcare professionals and director-level managers who provide direct patient care.

Why it matters: Healthcare employers need Gen Z workers to help replace an aging workforce, but the youngest generation is also the most likely to consider leaving. A projected shortage of nearly 500,000 critical healthcare workers, largely driven by retirement, is expected by 2038, per 2025 HRSA data cited by Strategic Education. Employers, however, see Gen Z workers as difficult to retain. Among healthcare employers, 46% say Gen Zers are the most difficult generation to keep, and 76% believe they’re less likely to commit to long-term careers, per Harris

Gen Z workers’ job searches while also desiring stability point to their focus on career advancement. Eighty-nine percent say they want clear opportunities for advancement compared with 77% of older generations, and 86% believe education or new skills will help them progress, per Harris.

Implications for healthcare systems: Calling retention a priority is not enough to convince workers that employers support their future. Even as 97% of employers say they prioritize employee retention, per Harris, just 26% of healthcare workers have a great deal of trust that their employer will support their long-term career growth, per Harris.

Closing that gap means making career advancement concrete, such as clear paths and timelines for earning higher degrees or certifications and promotions tied to new skills. These steps give Gen Z workers a clearer view of how their current role can lead to a longer-term career within the organization. Systems that treat retention mainly as a compensation or lifestyle issue risk losing workers who are looking for a path to advance.

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