More young people struggling with burnout symptoms, especially women

The number of young adults aged 18 to 34 struggling with burnout is increasing, especially among young women. Last year, a quarter of workers in this age group said they experienced symptoms of overwork and burnout, and the symptoms are getting worse, according to a study by TNO and Statistics Netherlands for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

The increase in burnout symptoms is particularly visible among young women. Last year, 29 percent of women in the age group experienced burnout complaints, compared to 25 percent in 2020. Among young men, symptoms increased from 13 percent in 2015 to 23 percent last year.

According to the researchers, young workers experience a lot of performance pressure, uncertainties in life, and social pressure. “The feeling of always having to do everything right, be constantly available, care responsibilities, and the combination of work and family cause a lot of stress,” the researchers said.

The constant stream of bad news about the climate crisis, nitrogen, war, and COVID-19 also contribute to uncertainty about their future and careers, while student debts, inflation, and high mortgage costs cause money worries, the researchers said. “The influence of social media on young people’s self-image also plays a role in the stress that they experience, in addition to the fact that social media also distracts them from work.”

The researchers also noticed an increase in work-related psychological absenteeism, especially among highly educated young women. The increase is especially visible in healthcare and education, where relatively many young women work. In these sectors, the number of employees experiencing few or no burnout complaints has also been shrinking in recent years.

Absenteeism due to work-related psychological complaints among young workers increased slightly in all sectors between 2015 and 2022. In 2021, there was a remarkable increase in the IT sector, possibly caused by the rapid changes in work due to the coronavirus pandemic.