How Gen Z coped with the cost of living crisis

Prices are rising at an unprecedented rate - and this rising inflation is something millions of young people have never faced. High demand and shortages continue to drive up the prices of consumer goods, food, gasoline, and energy, putting additional pressure on British households.

For Generation Z, adults aged 18-25, this is the first time in their lives that inflation will be significant. We asked this generation, whose lives and the pandemic have hardest hit careers, how it has affected them.

Jessica Langton, who has to travel long distances between farms to work on livestock reproduction, told the she had seen gasoline costs increase by £100 a month. The 21-year-old in Derby is in her final year of college, funded by flat-rate student loans. He worries that wages are not rising in line with the cost of living, meaning sudden bills - such as car breakdowns - will be a "big pressure to bear."

"You have to work to earn a living, not the other way around, and the rising cost of everything is not helping the youth of today," he told the BBC.

"My sister is 15, and I was worried about the costs because fixed-rate loans might be harder to come by then, and I think the costs should have been reduced during the pandemic," he added.

Because of the higher cost of food and drink, Langton says he and his friends have fewer visits to restaurants and pubs. "Inflation has added a lot of mental stress and stress," he said.

"Energy, gas, and everything goes up," he said. "Especially in winter, there are hikes, but [cost increases] are just the icing on the cake." "It's hard to save like that. If you want more affordable housing, you have to go through different types of consulting systems where the demand is so high and so extreme that you have to wait forever."

The 24-year-old was at Universal Credit in early 2021 before landing the job through the government's Kickstart program.

Now Alfie is helping others find work at I Am Moore, an organization that helps young people find work. Alfie admitted that he met many graduates at his new workplace. He said they had "talent and ambition" but could not find a job.

"Young generations need to be motivated and supported in adulthood, but otherwise, we are somewhat discouraged by the rising costs," he added. It's like running a marathon without seeing the finish line.