Gen Z Will Be Hit Hardest by Economic br Fallout From COVID-19, Data Suggests Generation Z, which the br Pew Research Center defines as br anyone born after 1997, makes up 24 of employees br in the industries most affected br by the pandemic. Senior Researcher Richard Fry, via CNN The Resolution Foundation’s research suggests br that pandemic-related layoffs could affect br Gen Z's long-term pay and job prospects. Today’s graduates in the United Kingdom are br 13 less likely to be employed in three years br when compared to a pandemic-free scenario. The U.S. economy also lost 20.5 million jobs in April, br with the unemployment rate being the highest forbr teenagers aged 16-19 at 31.9.