With summer well underway, we wanted to see what Millennials are up to and weren’t surprised to learn that they’re busy doing a bit of everything during these sunny months. In surveying more than 2700 Millennials, we found that they’re working at summer jobs, completing classes, and doing summer assignments, but they’re also making sure to have tons of time for themselves! Lazy days at the pool and beach are certainly on Millennials’ minds, in addition to going on vacation, having family time, and making fun memories with friends as they hang out, or go to concerts or music festivals. Millennials often embody the motto “work hard, play harder,” and when it comes to the summer — their cherished break from the school year — they definitely embrace this attitude.
More than half of Millennials (54%) have a summer job, which makes sense as they want to have fun with their friends, but need the funds to do so. They’re very busy during the school year, so they often use this break to work hard (clock more hours) and save some cash. However, only 14% of Millennials have a summer internship this year, which could be because it’s a competitive job market and they need paid gigs. With that said, younger Millennials are likely to just take a summer job to make money, even if it’s not in an industry they ultimately want to enter.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of Millennials are taking summer classes/summer school, which means they’re still focused on courses and homework assignments, and fully 3 in 10 (30%) say they’re working through a summer reading list.
But amidst all the work, Millennials are making sure to enjoy themselves and get some downtime. 43% say they are hitting the beach/pool as much as possible for some carefree summer fun. They view the summer months as a time for themselves, so even if they’re working, catching up on classes, or trying to get ahead in school, they want to reward themselves by laying out and unwinding whenever they can.
Speaking of relaxing, more than a third are traveling within the U.S. this summer, likely on family vacations or to visit other relatives. Millennials have close relationships with their parents, and traveling enables them to have lots of quality time together. They also are likely visiting extended family members who they don’t get to see as frequently, and they appreciate this time to go to different places and catch up with the people they care about.
Millennials have also scheduled some guaranteed fun with 31% attending concerts and music festivals this summer. The shared experience of seeing artists live is something that Millennials enjoy, and music festivals are a growing trend that Gen Y is embracing as they get to experience a wide array of genres and feel a closer connection to artists.
The summer months are already speeding by, but as they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
