An iHire survey finds that millennials and Gen Zers are increasingly adopting AI tools in their job searches, yet these generations are most concerned about AI replacing their jobs or making their roles less significant. Baby boomers and Gen Xers, however, are more hesitant to embrace AI but are less worried than younger generations about AI’s potential to replace or devalue their roles.
iHire’s survey of a Qualtrics market research panel of 1,645 U.S workers comprising the four predominant generations in the workforce – baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z – showed the following proportions of each generation have used AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.) in their job search:
- Gen Z: 52.3%
- Millennials: 54.4%
- Gen X: 37.4%
- Baby boomers: 18.5%
Additional data trends from iHire’s survey included:
- Although they haven’t adopted AI to the same extent as millennials and Gen Z, baby boomers and Gen X are interested in using the technology in the near future: 43.2% of baby boomers and 39.1% of Gen Xers said they have never used AI in their job search but plan to use it.
- Baby boomers (38.3%) and Gen Z (29.3%) had the largest percentages of respondents who have never used AI in their job searches and don’t plan to use it anytime soon – the latter is surprising, as Gen Z is considered the “tech-native” generation.
- Millennials had the highest AI adoption rates across various use cases, including creating resumes (27.8%), customizing resumes (22.3%), writing cover letters (19.9%), and preparing for interviews (17.2%).
- Using AI to create resumes was the most popular application for Gen X (19.6%), millennials (27.8%), and Gen Z (22.5%), while baby boomers’ top use case was creating cover letters (8.0%).
iHire also asked each generation to gauge how concerned they are that AI will replace their role or make it less significant in the next five years. Key findings are as follows:
- Millennials are the most concerned about AI, despite showing the highest adoption rates: 39.3% of millennials said they were “extremely” or “very” worried that AI will threaten their roles. Gen Z followed suit, with 36.6% reporting that they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
- Baby boomers had the largest proportion of respondents (40.2%) who were “not at all” concerned about AI replacing them, while only 22.7% were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
- Gen X fell in the middle when it comes to AI apprehension, as 32.8% were “extremely” or “very” concerned; 27.6% were “not at all concerned,” which is more than millennials or Gen Zers but less than baby boomers.
“Our survey suggests younger generations like millennials and Gen Z are embracing AI in their job searches at higher rates, possibly because they are anxious about AI’s long-term impact on their jobs,” said Steve Flook, iHire’s President and CEO. “Improving their AI proficiency will help candidates of all ages future-proof their careers, as employees with strong AI skills will be able to adapt to the evolving world of work. This technology is here to stay, and use cases extend far beyond writing resumes and cover letters.”
For more survey data, visit iHire’s Resource Center or access our new report, “Inside the Multi-Generational Workforce,” at www.iHire.com/GenerationsReport2025.
Research Methodology
iHire surveyed a Qualtrics market research panel of 1,645 U.S. workers representing four generations: baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers. Surveys were fielded in March 2025, and data was collected through the Qualtrics XM platform. All percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth. For many questions, multiple answers could be selected, so percentages add up to a sum greater than 100%. In some instances, survey questions were skipped by an individual respondent.
About iHire
iHire is a leading employment platform that powers a family of 57 industry-focused talent networks, including WorkInSports, iHireVeterinary, iHireDental, iHireConstruction, and iHireChefs. For more than 25 years, iHire has combined advanced job matching technology with our expertise in the talent acquisition space to connect job seekers with employers in their desired sector. With an industry-specific, candidate-centric, and data-driven approach to recruitment, iHire helps candidates find meaningful work and employers find unique, high-quality talent – faster, easier, and more effectively than a general job board. Visit www.iHire.com for more information.
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