Take 5: Gen Z professionals, retirement age and in-demand hybrid job titles

NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics

IN a recent Robert Half survey, more than half (55%) of Gen Z professionals say they plan to look for a new job before the end of the year, up from 32% one year ago. More than half (53%) believe changing employers could offer greater earning potential. They’re also motivated by stronger perks and benefits, career advancement opportunities and greater workplace flexibility.

ACCORDING to a MyPerfectResume report, more than one-third of U.S. workers (35%) say their expected retirement age has moved later over the past three years, while 55% now expect to retire at age 65 or later, including 14% who do not expect to fully retire at all. Sixty-four percent cite the cost of living as a barrier to retiring as early as they would like.

NEW research from Travelers shows that Northeast drivers are the most likely to use hands-free technology while driving (74%) and to rely on text-to-voice features to reduce work-related distractions (32%). They are also the least likely to read text messages or emails while driving (45%) or read work emails behind the wheel (26%). Only 13% of Northeast drivers said their employer expects them to stay reachable while on the road.

FLEXJOBS recently reported that the most in-demand hybrid job titles companies hired for over the past year were: accountant, dietitian, executive assistant, nurse practitioner, account executive, software engineer, mental health therapist, graphic designer, project manager and customer service representative. In 2026, experienced-level roles made up 70% of openings, while manager (14%) and senior manager-level jobs (5%) accounted for a quarter of postings. Entry-level roles represented the remaining 11% — up 4% over the previous year.

THE Monster Seasonal Hiring Index 2026, analyzing seasonal job postings from August through December in 2024 and 2025, found that nearly half of all posting activity occurred in September and October: 46.9% in 2024 and 48.2% in 2025. Seasonal posting activity fell approximately 24% from October to November in both years.