Gen Z isn’t daydreaming about retirement they’re anxious about it. According to Axios, many young Americans are prioritizing retirement planning not out of optimism, but out of real worry about their financial futures. Economic pressures from a tough job market and rising living costs to doubts about Social Security are pushing them to think about retirement earlier than previous generations.  Gen Z workers (ages 18–24) are the least likely to report having “quality jobs,” and the insecurity they feel about work and savings is fueling a sense that they need to plan more aggressively for later life.  It’s a blend of fear and determination: they want financial security, but the path there feels uncertain which is shaping how they think about careers, savings, and what retirement could look like in a world very different from their parents’ generation.  Source: Axios (Dec 28, 2025).