Lab Matters Spring 2025 | Page 33

QUALITY SYSTEMS AND ANALYTICS

Baby Boomers and Generation X demonstrated relatively stable satisfaction across most indicators , while Millennials showed notable variability , particularly in areas like technological training and work development support , where their scores increased over time .

Generation Z was excluded from the analysis due to insufficient data representation .

Why Are Some in the Workforce Leaving ?

Retention patterns reveal that a higher percentage of Millennials indicated their intentions to leave their current laboratory within five years than Generation X and Baby Boomers ( after excluding those who were retiring in that timeframe ). Additionally , Generation Z , while still a small proportion of the overall workforce ( i . e ., 10 % in 2024 ), had the highest rate of intentions to leave in the 2024 questionnaire ( i . e ., 66 %) and displayed in Figure 3 . These patterns reveal some concerns and may create a gap in laboratory operations and knowledge retention .

70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0 %

2016 2022 2024 Baby Boomers 8 % 38 % 38 % Generation X 12 % 18 % 18 %

Baby Boomers Generation X Millenials Generation Z

70 %

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 %

10 %

0 % Baby Boomers

2016 2022 2024

Men

Women

Figure 4 . Trending percentage of workforce in supervisory roles by gender .

Female Workforce Leading the Way

While public health laboratories are primarily staffed by female workers , leadership roles historically skewed male , particularly among Baby Boomers and Generation X . In 2024 , Millennials achieved near gender parity in supervisory roles , signaling progress in equitable leadership roles ( Figure 4 ). As older generations retire , this trend suggests a more equitable future for leadership representation .

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

These generational shifts highlight the need for targeted strategies to adapt to a changing workforce . Addressing Millennials ’ and Generation Z ’ s retention challenges , fostering intergenerational collaboration and sustaining progress toward gender parity in leadership are critical priorities . Public health laboratories stand at a crossroads , where understanding and embracing generational dynamics can drive future success . g

Figure 3 . Percentage of respondents planning to leave their current laboratory within five years .

APHL has used generational labels in its data gathering for years , but the association realizes that these labels can reinforce negative stereotypes , emphasize class biases and oversimplify people ’ s complex lived experiences . The association has used generational labels established by The Pew Research Center , which defines generations as spanning 15 – 18 years , but we understand that these labels have no scientific definition . While we realize that there is a great diversity of thought , experience and behavior within generations , these labels are used to highlight meaningful societal trends — especially where there is a surplus of data over decades — and to help us understand how our industry has changed over time . We are thinking of these terms as general reference points , and we will continue to use these terms only when our data supports the use of the generational lens .