83% of Gen Z workers would trade job titles for higher pay
A study found that Gen Z workers are willing to trade job titles for higher pay.
In the 2026 Salary Pulse Report by JobStreet by SEEK, 83% of Gen Z workers said they would consider accepting a lower job title or less meaningful work in exchange for a raise of at least 10%.
Dannah Majarocon, Managing Director of JobStreet by SEEK Philippines, said Gen Z’s willingness to prioritize higher pay reflects their current stage in life.
"They were born with access to information through the internet, and they're at a stage in their lives where they know they are building for the future," she told OneNews. "Not only are Gen Zs prioritizing the increase over the career or the role progression in rank. What this is actually speaking to is that their priorities really revolve around the type of flexibility and freedom that they would want to have in their lives."
She emphasized that this choice is not about giving up on career growth, noting that older Gen Z workers are already beginning to think more about the long-term career paths they want to build.
The report also found that Gen Z reported a salary happiness score of 61%, compared with 54% among millennials and 60% among Gen X.
For Gen Z, flexibility is also reflected in the kinds of jobs they seek. Majarocon said virtual assistant roles have continued to grow in popularity, with thousands of openings on JobStreet. She noted that VA work has also expanded beyond traditional administrative tasks, with roles increasingly requiring knowledge of technological and AI tools.
Overall, flexible work arrangements remain highly appealing to Filipino workers, with work-from-home and hybrid setups among the most searched arrangements on the platform.
Majarocon said this reflects a broader desire for flexibility, whether to manage other responsibilities, stay with family, or pursue additional sources of income.
