"Too Much Work, Too Little Pay: Once a 'Dream Job,' Teaching No Longer Attracts US Youths [The World Is Z]"

Perceptions of Poor Work-Life Balance Lower Teaching's Appeal
US Sees Record Low in Generation Z Aspiring to Become Teachers
South Korea Faces Serious Teacher Attrition Due to Violation of Teachers' Rights
"Special Protective Measures Are N

Editor's NoteGeneration Z (those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s) is gaining attention as a generation that leads culture and trends in a rapidly changing era, setting new standards across society. In [The World is Z], we shed light on the lives and values of Generation Z around the globe, exploring how they are changing society.

A clear trend of younger generations shunning teaching careers is emerging in both the United States and South Korea. In the southern United States, the number of Generation Z entering the teaching profession has dropped to a historic low, while in South Korea, more young teachers are leaving due to infringements on teachers' authority and worsening working conditions. Low pay, excessive workloads, and a lack of work-life balance are cited as the main reasons.

Southern US Sees Historic Low in Generation Z Entering Teaching

The teacher is preparing the class for the students in the classroom. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

The regional daily Clarion Ledger recently reported, "With teacher shortages continuing nationwide, the education sector is hoping for an influx of Generation Z talent, but their interest remains low." The paper added, "In particular, the entry of Generation Z into teaching in the South has reached an all-time low."

According to a report titled "Solving Teacher Shortages" released by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) in June, as of last year, at least 411,549 teaching positions nationwide were either vacant or filled by individuals without full teaching credentials. This accounts for about one-eighth of all teaching positions. In particular, Mississippi in the South had about 3,000 unfilled teaching positions.

Megan Boren, who oversees teacher workforce issues at the Southern Regional Education Board, cited several reasons for Generation Z avoiding teaching: low pay, lack of work-life balance, and insufficient administrative support. She emphasized, "Low pay combined with poor work-life balance has led Generation Z to choose other careers. The most important thing new teachers want is support, and strengthening this is the top priority."

She added that strategies are needed to encourage Generation Z to become interested in teaching from an early age. She explained that providing opportunities for mentoring or teaching experience courses during middle and high school allows students to experience the profession indirectly, which is effective. Boren said, "When students are exposed to educational settings early on, it has a positive effect on maintaining their interest and enthusiasm for teaching in the future."

Anna Leah Roberts, a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher, also developed an interest in teaching naturally by helping her mother and grandmother, both teachers, from a young age. Now in her second year as a teacher, she said, "I feel energized when I'm in the classroom," and added, "The sense of fulfillment I get from teaching something that will stay with my students for a long time makes me forget all the difficulties."

However, Roberts stressed that teaching is not just a job but a calling that requires a strong sense of mission. She said, "It's hard to truly understand the meaning of being a teacher while in college," adding, "This is something more than just an ordinary job."

South Korea Sees More Young Teachers Leaving the Profession... 'Infringement of Teachers' Authority' a Serious Issue

This trend is also appearing in South Korea. Once considered a stable and desirable career, teaching has rapidly lost its appeal due to the decline in teachers' authority and worsening working conditions.

According to a teacher perception survey released by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) in May, 90.0% of respondents said the departure of early-career teachers from the profession is "serious." Among them, more than half (51.6%) said it is "very serious," while 38.4% responded "somewhat serious." The main reasons for leaving the profession were "infringement of teachers' authority" (40.9%), followed by declining social status (26.7%), and low pay relative to workload (25.1%). The survey was conducted among 5,591 kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school, and university teachers nationwide.

The scale of teacher attrition is also growing rapidly. According to data released by Baek Seunga, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 33,705 teachers left their positions before retirement over the past five years. By year, the numbers were: 6,512 in 2020, 6,642 in 2021, 6,774 in 2022, 7,626 in 2023, and 9,194 in 2024, showing an annual increase. Among those who left, early-career teachers with less than five years of experience totaled 1,362, accounting for 4.0% of the total.

The KFTA commented, "Due to increasingly difficult student guidance and infringements on teachers' authority, teachers from the MZ Generation (Millennials + Generation Z) to principals and vice principals are leaving the profession in droves." "Our education system is now showing early signs of the collapse of public education, going beyond a mere crisis," the association warned. They added, "When teachers' authority collapses, educational activities and student guidance are undermined, intensifying avoidance of the profession and ultimately harming students and parents. Special measures to protect educational activities must be implemented."