‘Micro-Shifts': Gen Z Sets Another New Workforce Trend In 2025

Forbes

03-05-2025

The new micro-shift trend is gaining popularity in the U.S. workforce, predominantly among Gen Z's ... More in the hospitality and food service industries looking for flexible work arrangements.
Everything seems to be going micro this year! I've written about micro-breaks, micro-chillers and micro-retirement. Now, Gen Z is defining another popular workforce trend micro-shifts, tailored for flexibility and work-life balance to meet the needs of both employees and employers. As the cost of living continues to rise and consumer confidence nosedives, a new report shows that younger and older workers, are leveraging 'micro-shifts' to maintain flexibility and manage personal responsibilities.
A new workforce report from Deputy's The Big Shift: U.S. 2025 reveals how Gen Z's are rewriting shift work in an emerging trend known as 'micro-shifts.' According to the report, micro-shifts are flexible, short (six hours or less) shifts towards more flexible work arrangements, allowing workers to balance responsibilities such as caregiving, education or multiple jobs. Micro-shifts tap into an underutilized pool of talent by challenging traditional employer-employee relationships.
The latest Deputy report shows that demand for this kind of flexibility is strongest among younger workers. Micro-shifters are dominated by Gen Z, making up 51.5%, and the majority (63%) of micro-shift workers view AI positively, seeing it as a tool that improves their roles rather than replacing them.
But micro-shifting isn't about working less--it's about working smarter, making sure each micro-shift works for both the employee and the employer, according to Silvija Martincevic, Deputy's CEO. Martincevic told me by email that it's not just a Gen Z thing, either. 'We're seeing shorter average shifts among both Gen Alpha and Baby Boomers, too. That tells us this is bigger than a niche trend--it's a generational shift.'
The report shows that micro-shifting is most popular in the hospitality and service industries where there is less regulatory constraint, compared to sectors like healthcare. And women make up the majority of micro-shifters, but they remain concentrated in lower-paying service jobs. Notably, young women (68% Gen Z, 25% Millennials) represent most poly-workers, balancing multiple jobs to manage cost pressures. Deputy's data also found that women are transitioning into traditionally male-dominated shift work fields, such as logistics.
Martincevic asserts that businesses that embrace micro-shifting will have a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining talent. 'At the same time, we see that AI is enhancing--not replacing--shift work, by optimizing scheduling and improving work-life integration. The Big Shift isn't just a report; it's a roadmap for the future of hourly work.'
Martincevic identifies three factors driving the popularity of micro-shifts. First, she cites economic pressure pushing more people to juggle multiple jobs, noting that one in five workers on Deputy is poly-employed, which she believes is a clear signal that shorter, more flexible shifts aren't just convenient; they're essential.
She says the second driver is technology, catching up to the realities of modern life. 'Businesses can now offer personalized scheduling at scale--meeting workers where they are, not where outdated systems expect them to be,' the CEO points out. 'AI is playing a transformative role in making this possible, too. In fact, our data shows 45% of workers report an enhanced work-life balance thanks to AI-driven scheduling, reflecting how tech is being leveraged to boost flexibility and productivity in shift-based industries. In retail and logistics, 82% of large businesses now rely on AI scheduling tools to streamline operations and enhance employee satisfaction.'
The third driver, she notes, is a growing demand for in-home services and services requiring a human touch, like healthcare (+8.9%), aged care (+3.8%) and hospitality (+5.2%)--especially from higher-income households. She explains that this demand creates more opportunities for sustainable roles that move beyond the unpredictability of gig work.
'Together, these shifts create new pathways for caregivers, parents, students and anyone seeking greater control over their time,' Martincevic states. 'Deputy is helping lead this transition. Our platform enables businesses to build smarter, more flexible teams that can adapt to today's evolving labor market. With real-time scheduling and labor insights, we're making it easier to embrace micro-shifts as a pathway to a more sustainable and people-first approach to workforce management.'
Paul Farnsworth, president of Dice, a tech careers marketplace, told me that micro-shifts have been around for a while, although perhaps for different reasons. 'Successful tech professionals always embraced trends similar to 'micro-shifts,'" he says. 'For example, 'micro-shifts' emphasize intentional tweaks in your career trajectory, whether that's learning a new skill or altering your work habits.'
Farnsworth describes how for decades, many tech pros continually upgraded their skills and work habits on a rolling basis in order to keep up with an industry evolving at what he calls a rocket-ship pace. 'This is especially true for those just entering the tech workforce, like recent grads or boot camp alumni, who are often balancing financial pressures, ongoing learning and the need for real-world experience,' he stresses.
Farnsworth believes that micro-shifting can provide the flexibility to upskill, explore different tech paths and gain hands-on experience while managing the demands of early career life. "With the emergence of AI, this need for continual learning and a constant focus on shifting one's career to meet the market is more important than ever.'
As the definition of work continues to evolve, Martincevic predicts companies that adopt flexible models like micro-shifts will be better positioned to attract and retain the talent of tomorrow. 'Micro-shifts not only address the growing demand for flexibility but could also result in a five-to-10% boost to the U.S. economy due to increased labor participation (roughly $2.1 trillion),' she proposes.
She adds that remote workers have already embraced this model, stepping away between calls to start laundry, pick up their kids after a meeting and logging back in later to wrap up work. 'With regulation and worker sentiment shifting toward more stable and predictable micro-shifts, companies that tap into this more personalized approach will challenge outdated assumptions about work and unlock a huge pool of untapped talent,' she concludes.