Dear reader,

Let’s begin with an awkward truth: millennial and Gen-Z workers are less industrious than the boomers who raised them. Here’s another: their careers aren’t a defining part of their identities; they’re a means to finance their lifestyles. We could argue about the outliers—those hard-working 20- or 30-somethings you know—but studies confirm the stereotype. Before you reach for the pitchfork, here’s a third truth: these young workers may be on to something.

Today in Toronto, young people face economic circumstances that would be unrecognizable to their parents at the same age. The cost of living is exorbitant. Interest rates are high. A recession lurks. The cookie-cutter home Mom and Dad bought for peanuts way back when goes for a million dollars today. To top off all that stress, we’ve just lived through a pandemic experts say won’t be our last, climate change and AI pose existential threats to humanity, and two wars risk drawing major powers into irreversible global conflict.

Given this frightful context, younger generations are asking themselves novel, entirely reasonable questions about work. Should I grind myself to a fine dust for my employer, who cares little about me? Should I push my stress levels beyond my ability to cope? Should I chase some arbitrary salary when most of it goes out the door to my landlord, mortgage lender or local grocery magnate? For our February cover story, “Work Less, Live More,” we spoke to many of those workers, who responded en masse with a very Gen-Z answer: nah.

They’re not lazy. Their choice is both savvy and strategic. They want to work but maybe a little less; they want a good salary but will settle for just enough to get by; they want to be engaged by their job but not overwhelmed. Being underemployed used to mean failure. Today, when it’s intentional, it’s a triumph of work-life balance.

I can feel the generational eye roll. Boomers may be aghast, but their outrage is misplaced. Young workers didn’t create the affordability gap, the climate crisis or the gig economy. Who did? Take one guess.

—Malcolm Johnston, Editor-in-chief

In today’s edition of This City: confessions from the new and intentionally underemployed labour force. Plus, a Toronto couple who bought a 944-year-old castle in England, chef Patrick Kriss’s go-to spot for late-night drinks, and more. Visit torontolife.com for all our city coverage.

Work Less, Live More

Work hard, live hard is officially over. For anyone under 40, the so-called soft life is where it’s at: more time spent with friends and family, increased devotion to hobbies and developing new interests, fewer professional responsibilities, and a lot less stress. We spoke with 20- and 30-something workers who want to dismantle long-held beliefs and vaunted attitudes about ambition, money and what constitutes a productive life.