As companies shed staffers and hiring stagnates, thousands of Gen Zers are abandoning the dream that an elite degree will land them a six-figure, cushy office job. While blue-collar work has become an attractive, stable career for some, a swath of young professionals is flocking to education amid uncertainty.
Over the past three years, Teach for America (TFA), an education non-profit, experienced a 43% surge in incoming corps members (full-time teachers), according to the organization’s data, confirmed by Fortune. This school year, Teach For America welcomed 2,300 new corps members as the teacher shortage persists and Gen Z embraces the profession. It’s a rare bright spot in a job market increasingly short on entry-level roles.
There has also been a renewed Gen Z interest in Teach for America jobs after years of waning applications; from 2013 to 2016, the organization faced declining recruitment into the program, according to Chalkbeat. In 2013, TFA received a record high of 57,226 candidates, but the figure dwindled by 23% three years later as the economy boomed. However, the recent flood of Gen Z workers into the education non-profit could reflect broader attitudes towards work and an uncertain labor market. Teach For America experienced a 40% surge in applications in 2009—in the wake of the U.S. financial crisis—according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.
