Latest news with #GenZers
West Australian
11 hours ago
- West Australian
WA Day: Young Aussies pen love letter to west coast as new survey shows Perth is better than OK
If Western Australia were a person, Gen Zers would be writing it love letters. From the white-sand beaches and sunsets over the ocean, to the laid-back lifestyle and small-town vibes, young Australians are smitten — and they want the rest of the country to know it. New research released ahead of WA Day on Monday has providing a glowing endorsement of the golden State's irresistible pull, finding that more than nine in 10 WA residents would convince someone to make the move west. The inaugural Kleenheat All-In On WA survey showed that while 98 per cent of Gen Zers and millennials would convince someone to relocate here, there's no shortage of love for the State among the older generation, with 94 per cent of baby boomers saying they also wouldn't hesitate to encourage loved ones to move. According to the data, almost three-quarters of baby boomer and Gen X residents consider WA beaches among the best in the world, while 90 per cent of millennials and Gen Zers agree that WA offers easy access to some of the best hiking and camping spots in the country. Ninety-one per cent of us also agree that natural landmarks including Rottnest Island, Ningaloo Reef and the Bungle Bungles make WA one of the most scenic States in Australia. 'For me, I could not fathom living anywhere else in the world,' City Beach business owner Sophie Langer told The West Australian. 'I tell my family and my friends pretty much every day how lucky I think we are to live in WA — dead set, I'm not exaggerating.' The born-and-raised Perth local said she regularly travelled to other Australian States but that none came close. 'For me it is the beaches. We've got the beast beaches in the country, one thousand per cent,' Ms Langer, the owner of City Beach coffee window Fred's, said. 'Then there's the people. I don't think the people in cities like Melbourne and Sydney are as friendly. Everyone's just wanting to go from A to B, whereas here it just feels a bit more community-vibes and everyone's willing to be friends with everyone and says hi to everyone.' The 24-year-old spends most afternoons sitting on the sand at City Beach, her favourite place on earth, watching the water. 'I love Perth so much, I never want to leave,' she said, describing the small-town charm with the perks that come with living in a major city as 'really special'. 'It is very untouched. It feels like it's our own sort of sacred place.' Speaking to the Iona Presentation College graduate would be enough to convince even the most hesitant to move west — she radiated love for WA, every word she used to talk about her beloved home State sounding less like a description and more like a love song. 'Margaret River, Yallingup, Dunsborough, the Kimberley, Broome, honestly the whole State is incredible. We are so fortunate,' she said. Her close friend Brianna Goldsworthy couldn't have agreed with the glowing review more, adding that her own love for the State centered around the healthy, active lifestyle so many West Aussies lived by. 'You can be up before 7am and by that time most people have already done their exercise, have gone for their walk, have had their coffee. Everyone sort of shares those values here,' the 24-year-old from Wembley Downs said. 'Then there's the amazing sunsets over the ocean . . . the beautiful walks, and of course the really great coffee.' Ms Goldsworthy, who is studying a masters in dietetics, also joked about how small WA felt despite it being the biggest State in the country. 'You definitely can account to bump into at least one person. It's rare if you don't see someone you know when you're out and about,' she said, laughing. 'And you can hop in your car and drive a few hours and then you're in a completely different environment, camping, wineries, beaches, forest walks.' Fifty per cent of residents like Ms Goldsworthy and Ms Langer have never even considered leaving WA, with the majority crediting the weather and climate as their biggest reason for staying. Ninety-five per cent of millennials also said WA was a great place to raise children, and more than 80 per cent of all WA residents surveyed agreed the State offered strong career opportunities, with it also being the top reason people have moved west. One of those individuals is New Zealand man Daniel Gray, who moved to Perth just over a year ago and is now in the process of trying to convince his Melbourne-based girlfriend to make the move. 'She loves the beach and lives about two hours away from one at the moment, so that's the biggest thing I say when trying to get her out her,' he said on Friday. The 24-year-old plumber moved to WA for the work opportunities and spends his time off-site surfing and camping. 'I love the lifestyle here, and everything's a bit more affordable, a bit more laid back,' Mr Gray said. 'It's really good — anyone thinking about moving here should just do it.' Kleenheat's head of natural gas and electricity Rick Newnham said the report not only showed how much WA had to offer people of every generation, 'but has highlighted an underlying sense of pride in things that are unique to our State'. Committee of Perth chief executive Paula Rogers said her heart 'bursts with pride when I heard about the recently released survey WA is better than OK which highlights our younger residents are leading the love for Perth and WA'. 'When I saw the results, I thought 'yes, yes, yes, finally some positive celebration of what we have here in Perth'.' The survey results were released in the lead-up to WA Day celebrations on Monday, when residents and visitors are expected to descend on Fremantle to show their love for the State. The Port City's free community event will showcase dragon dancers, unicorn stilt walkers and Latin music among the multicultural melting pot of entertainment that will transform Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and Bathers Beach into a long-weekend holiday hot spot. While Premier Roger Cook lauded WA's beautiful beaches and sense of community, State opposition leader Basil Zempilas praised the unique WA lifestyle. He will be spending most of his time over the long weekend at the WA Netball Championships at the Matthews' Netball Centre. 'My oldest daughter Ava is playing, and I'll be watching her compete while also spending time on the scorer's bench,' he said. 'There is something very West Australian about combining family and sport while enjoying the WA Day long weekend.'
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Why most Gen Z-ers think you should move to WA
If Western Australia were a person, Gen Zers would be writing it love letters. From the white-sand beaches and sunsets over the ocean, to the laid-back lifestyle and small-town vibes, young Australians are smitten — and they want the rest of the country to know it. New research released ahead of WA Day on Monday has providing a glowing endorsement of the golden State's irresistible pull, finding that more than nine in 10 WA residents would convince someone to make the move west. The inaugural Kleenheat All-In On WA survey showed that while 98 per cent of Gen Zers and millennials would convince someone to relocate here, there's no shortage of love for the State among the older generation, with 94 per cent of baby boomers saying they also wouldn't hesitate to encourage loved ones to move. According to the data, almost three-quarters of baby boomer and Gen X residents consider WA beaches among the best in the world, while 90 per cent of millennials and Gen Zers agree that WA offers easy access to some of the best hiking and camping spots in the country. Ninety-one per cent of us also agree that natural landmarks including Rottnest Island, Ningaloo Reef and the Bungle Bungles make WA one of the most scenic States in Australia. 'For me, I could not fathom living anywhere else in the world,' City Beach business owner Sophie Langer told The West Australian. 'I tell my family and my friends pretty much every day how lucky I think we are to live in WA — dead set, I'm not exaggerating.' The born-and-raised Perth local said she regularly travelled to other Australian States but that none came close. 'For me it is the beaches. We've got the beast beaches in the country, one thousand per cent,' Ms Langer, the owner of City Beach coffee window Fred's, said. 'Then there's the people. I don't think the people in cities like Melbourne and Sydney are as friendly. Everyone's just wanting to go from A to B, whereas here it just feels a bit more community-vibes and everyone's willing to be friends with everyone and says hi to everyone.' The 24-year-old spends most afternoons sitting on the sand at City Beach, her favourite place on earth, watching the water. 'I love Perth so much, I never want to leave,' she said, describing the small-town charm with the perks that come with living in a major city as 'really special'. 'It is very untouched. It feels like it's our own sort of sacred place.' Speaking to the Iona Presentation College graduate would be enough to convince even the most hesitant to move west — she radiated love for WA, every word she used to talk about her beloved home State sounding less like a description and more like a love song. 'Margaret River, Yallingup, Dunsborough, the Kimberley, Broome, honestly the whole State is incredible. We are so fortunate,' she said. WA residents Brianna Goldsworthy 24 and Sophie Langer 24 at Scarborough Beach. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Aust Her close friend Brianna Goldsworthy couldn't have agreed with the glowing review more, adding that her own love for the State centered around the healthy, active lifestyle so many West Aussies lived by. 'You can be up before 7am and by that time most people have already done their exercise, have gone for their walk, have had their coffee. Everyone sort of shares those values here,' the 24-year-old from Wembley Downs said. 'Then there's the amazing sunsets over the ocean . . . the beautiful walks, and of course the really great coffee.' Ms Goldsworthy, who is studying a masters in dietetics, also joked about how small WA felt despite it being the biggest State in the country. 'You definitely can account to bump into at least one person. It's rare if you don't see someone you know when you're out and about,' she said, laughing. 'And you can hop in your car and drive a few hours and then you're in a completely different environment, camping, wineries, beaches, forest walks.' Fifty per cent of residents like Ms Goldsworthy and Ms Langer have never even considered leaving WA, with the majority crediting the weather and climate as their biggest reason for staying. Ninety-five per cent of millennials also said WA was a great place to raise children, and more than 80 per cent of all WA residents surveyed agreed the State offered strong career opportunities, with it also being the top reason people have moved west. Daniel Gray, 24. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian One of those individuals is New Zealand man Daniel Gray, who moved to Perth just over a year ago and is now in the process of trying to convince his Melbourne-based girlfriend to make the move. 'She loves the beach and lives about two hours away from one at the moment, so that's the biggest thing I say when trying to get her out her,' he said on Friday. The 24-year-old plumber moved to WA for the work opportunities and spends his time off-site surfing and camping. 'I love the lifestyle here, and everything's a bit more affordable, a bit more laid back,' Mr Gray said. 'It's really good — anyone thinking about moving here should just do it.' Kleenheat's head of natural gas and electricity Rick Newnham said the report not only showed how much WA had to offer people of every generation, 'but has highlighted an underlying sense of pride in things that are unique to our State'. Committee of Perth chief executive Paula Rogers said her heart 'bursts with pride when I heard about the recently released survey WA is better than OK which highlights our younger residents are leading the love for Perth and WA'. 'When I saw the results, I thought 'yes, yes, yes, finally some positive celebration of what we have here in Perth'.' The survey results were released in the lead-up to WA Day celebrations on Monday, when residents and visitors are expected to descend on Fremantle to show their love for the State. The Port City's free community event will showcase dragon dancers, unicorn stilt walkers and Latin music among the multicultural melting pot of entertainment that will transform Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and Bathers Beach into a long-weekend holiday hot spot. While Premier Roger Cook lauded WA's beautiful beaches and sense of community, State opposition leader Basil Zempilas praised the unique WA lifestyle. He will be spending most of his time over the long weekend at the WA Netball Championships at the Matthews' Netball Centre. 'My oldest daughter Ava is playing, and I'll be watching her compete while also spending time on the scorer's bench,' he said. 'There is something very West Australian about combining family and sport while enjoying the WA Day long weekend.'
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Millennials show rising interest in buying homes despite high mortgage rates
Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) are far more interested in buying homes today than they were just six months ago. That makes the group the only generation whose interest in homeownership has increased since September 2024. However, these same people are tending to put off the investment due to sky-high mortgage rates. Spicy AI-generated TACO memes are taking over social media because 'Trump always chickens out' Lego's first book nook is an addictively interactive diorama Forget quiet quitting: I'm using 'loud living' to redefine workplace boundaries The new data comes from an online survey of 2,230 adults conducted by Six months ago, 15% of millennials said they were interested in buying a home. Now 23% are interested, according to the latest survey. Still, that doesn't mean more 29- to 44-year-olds are actually buying homes. In a press release, Laura Eddy, vice president of research and insights at noted how the desire to buy a home is being sidelined by soaring mortgage rates. 'Even though we found a change in millennial home-buying intent, the influence of mortgage rates cannot be overstated, with the vast majority of Americans, including millennials, prioritizing lower rates before committing to a purchase.' Eddy added: 'The lock-in effect is still very much in effect ' The survey also found that most Americans don't have plans to buy a home in the immediate future. Some 69% said they don't intend to go through with a home purchase over the next six months. And one-third of respondents said they have pushed back plans due to those high mortgage rates. But millennials and Gen Zers have delayed their plans at disproportionate rates, with more than half saying they've had to put off their plans to buy a home. Two-thirds of those surveyed by said mortgage rates have great influence over whether or not they will buy a home. Only 2% said they would even consider a home purchase with mortgage rates exceeding 6%; the threshold appears to be somewhere below 5% for 63% of respondents. (Meanwhile, the national average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is currently 6.95%, according to Bankrate.) 'Across much of our research we see a trend where potential homebuyers feel stuck when it comes to buying a home due to their current mortgage rate,' Hannah Jones, senior research analyst at said in the continued, 'Mortgage rates on top of an insufficient supply of budget-friendly homes complicates the affordability picture for many homeowners, especially first-time homebuyers who do not have equity from their existing home to help offset mortgage rates.' Jones added that the experts at believe potential homebuyers are likely to get tired of waiting for change, and out of necessity may go forward with purchases even if they aren't totally satisfied with the rates. According to recent median home price listings, how much Americans need to earn to afford a home is growing exponentially. As of April 2024, they needed to earn $47,000 more per year to afford a home than they would have just six months prior. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Gen Z Really Means When They Use Emojis
Using emojis has become a time-honored tradition in texting — but Gen Z doesn't use them in the same way older generations do. Gen Z refers to those born between 1997 and 2012. This cohort doesn't take certain emojis literally, as they have assigned their own meanings behind them. Two of the most commonly used emojis among Gen Zers are the face with tears streaming down (😭) and the skull (💀). However, these emojis don't necessarily convey sadness or anger to Zoomers. Instead, they often signify laughter or that something is funny. A 2024 study on emoji interpretation by researchers at Indiana University found that Gen Z respondents were more likely than older generations to interpret messages as sarcastic or ironic. For example, Gen Z didn't see the fire emoji (🔥) as expressing anger. 'Younger users rated the fire emoji as friendly, meaning that it signifies something 'hot' or 'great,'' the study states. 'This suggests a shift in the meaning of the fire emoji from potentially representing anger to signaling excitement (i.e., from its literal to a metaphorical meaning).' The study also looked at the thumbs up emoji (👍) and found it was 'associated with sarcastic meanings by Gen Z and Millennials, while Baby Boomers saw it as genuinely positive and playful.' A post titled 'Are emoji a Millennial+ vibe?' on the Gen Z subreddit page further dove into this emoji divide. Redditors agreed that some emoji usages are telltale signs that a person is not part of Gen Z — or at least not up to date on texting lingo. 'Responding to a message with 'Okay 👍' will be seen as an old person thing, same as 'Hello 😀,'' one person commented. A self-described 'older' Gen Z member explained, 'For example 😂 this one used unironically says millennial to me.' 'Like, I use 💀 to indicate disbelief or laughter at something. So, when old people use emojis, we can just kinda tell,' someone posted on the platform. 'They use emojis we tend not to, or use them in ways we don't.' One thing is clear: Emoji meanings are ever-changing, and can be interpreted differently by those who receive them.
Business Journals
a day ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Gen Z more interested in trade careers; dress codes change post-pandemic
Editor's Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers Some Generation Z adults are becoming more interested in trade careers as economic pressures mount and concerns about artificial-intelligence tools persist. That's according to a recent survey from Resume Builder, which found 42% of Gen Zers are working in or pursuing a skilled-trade job, including 37% of those with a bachelor's degree. The report surveyed 1,434 adults ages 18 to 28. Regardless of education level, Gen Z men surveyed were significantly more likely than women to choose trade careers, with 48% of men saying they worked in or planned to enter the trades, compared to 30% of women. Top factors cited for choosing work outside of white-collar professions included avoiding student-loan debt and reducing the potential risk of being replaced by AI tools. The shift, according to the report, is especially prevalent among Gen Z men with degrees, as 46% of them are working in or pursuing trades compared to 27% of women with degrees. Key quote: "More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason. Many are concerned about AI replacing traditional white-collar roles, while trade jobs offer hands-on work that's difficult to automate. Additionally, many grads find their degrees don't lead to careers in their field, prompting them to explore more practical, in-demand alternatives." — Resume Builder's Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller FULL STORY: Here's why Gen Zers are increasingly drawn to trade careers Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change. Companies have pulled back on advertising casual dress codes in 2025, but that doesn't mean the days of relaxed in-office attire workers have enjoyed post-pandemic are coming to an end. The Playbook's senior reporter Andy Medici writes that an analysis of job postings by job-matching platform Adzuna that was shared exclusively with The Playbook found the percentage of listings in April that mentioned a casual dress code came in at 61.1%, the lowest April figure since the onset of the pandemic. In April 2019, casual dress code mentions were part of 58.5% of job listings. Per Medici, that number rose to 63% in April 2020 and reached a peak of 80.6% in April 2022 before coming back down. Medici notes that references to business-casual dress codes, which stood at 40.2% of job postings in April 2019, fell all the way to 18.6% of job postings in April 2022 before rising back up to 37.2% this year, according to Adzuna. Key quote: "During the pandemic, it was common for employers to advertise casual dress and remote work to attract candidates. But now that casual dress has become the standard, companies no longer feel it's necessary to drive recruitment. So even though fewer job listings directly advertise their casual dress code, it's still very much the standard in most workplaces." — Sam Debase, a career expert at ZipRecruiter FULL STORY: Casual dress codes were a post-pandemic perk. That's starting to change. Office returns are hitting their new normal As more corporate titans have pushed for employees returning to the office in 2025, the rate of in-person work is inching toward pre-pandemic levels in some major metros. The Business Journals' Joanne Drilling writes that April 2025 was the third-busiest in-office month since the pandemic — outpaced only by October and July 2024 — with office visits down 30.7% nationally compared to April 2019. The data comes from the most recent Nationwide Office Building Index, which leverages cellphone location data to analyze foot traffic and visits from about 1,000 office buildings across the country. Despite the robust traffic numbers recorded in April, a full return to pre-pandemic visitation levels hasn't yet materialized in most cities, Drilling notes. Key quote: "Consumers are just not spending 40 hours a week in the office. They're still embracing this hybrid model, but with a lot of companies heading into the office, we have some improvement in the percentage of visits compared to pre-pandemic levels." — R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at FULL STORY: Office returns are hitting their new normal The blitz: Workers feel stigma around disability accommodations has worsened … The pay raise picture is shifting. Here's where wages are rising the most. … SBA launches portal to boost Made in America Manufacturing Initiative … SBA overhauls another loan program amid rising defaults
