In 2025, the old model of hourly work will be revolutionized. No longer constrained by rigid shift patterns or outdated assumptions about the workforce, the future of shift work is dynamic, tech-enabled, and influenced by generational change. Deputy’s “The Big Shift” Report 2025 offers an in-depth glimpse into this shift, examining 278 million hours worked by 429,620 shift workers to reveal how transformation is re-making the hourly economy. From Gen Z domination to the technology-driven rise of micro-shifts and AI-assisted scheduling, Deputy‘s learnings provide valuable insights into emerging workforce dynamics, making them pivotal for HR strategists, workforce planners, and industry decision-makers looking to future-proof their organizations.

Here are the top five takeaways that every HR leader, workforce strategist, and tech-savvy employer should know to remain ahead of the curve.

#1 Reshaping Shift Work in Emerging Workforce Dynamics

Gen Z is the new ruling generation in shift work across healthcare, hospitality, retail, and service industries. Deputy reports that 51.5% of total shift work hours in 2024 were accounted for by Gen Z, compared to 49.2% in 2023.

What distinguishes this generation is their duality: they’re mobile and ambitious. 32% of the workforce is motivated by mobility within their current organization, and 29% are already on the prowl elsewhere. Gen Z also refuses to compromise on work values; they demand fair pay, good culture, and flexibility of schedules.

This change requires a change in employer attitudes. Gen Z doesn’t simply desire a paycheck. They crave purpose, advancement, and customization. Employers who value transparent career paths, fair pay, and culture-driven leadership will be in the best position to retain and develop this critical workforce.

This generation is digital, career-focused, and unwilling to compromise on wage equity and culture. Their emergence heralds a defining change: companies must now maximize worker experiences for digital natives who are hungry for flexibility and values-based engagement.

“Gen Z is rewriting workplace norms, not just participating in them.” – Silvija Martincevic, CEO, Deputy

#2 Micro-Shifts and AI-Powered Scheduling Are Redefining Flexibility

The second massive step forward in workforce flexibility is the emergence of micro-shifts: short, responsive work periods that align with contemporary rhythms of life. Micro-shifts provide an answer to an increasing need for flexibility without sacrificing stability.

Deputy’s report underscores how AI-enabled job matching is making this possible. Employees can now link up to real-time work opportunities suited to their schedule and preferences through smart algorithms. This is particularly valuable for:

• Parents and caregivers who require part-time or brief-hour positions.
• Gen Alpha young people and Baby Boomers, who worked the shortest average shift lengths in 2024.
• Poly-employed employees, 58% of whom are women, are working more than one job to stay financially afloat

As artificial intelligence keeps developing, anticipate these intelligent systems to erase friction in looking for jobs, streamline shift coverage, and further employee autonomy.

AI is filling labor-market gaps by connecting people to personalized shifts in real time, enhancing workforce engagement and happiness.

#3 Healthcare: America’s Most Resilient and Fastest-Growing Industry

While economic turmoil reigned during the Cost of Living Crisis, America’s healthcare sector grew by a record 8.9% in 2024, the highest among all sectors of shift work. It reinforces the fact that healthcare is playing a key role in a rapidly aging, wellness-oriented U.S. economy.

Highlights:

• 82% of medical work was performed by women.
• Gen Z became the leading generational segment in healthcare, surpassing the Millennials.
• 28% of health care shift workers worked over one job, most in health care and in the hospitality fields.

What sets health care apart is stability. It saw the highest average timesheet earnings at $152 and saw the least turnover intentions among other industries. Employees regard health care as a career, not merely a job, due to formalized schedules, stable demand, and increasingly technologically enriched jobs.

#4 Growth Cities Are Remapping America’s Economy

While historical hubs like San Francisco and New York transition to a post-pandemic rebound, new players are taking center stage. Deputy says cities like Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Nashville are fueling national growth in shift work within healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

Why the change?

• Investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers.
• Relocation of tech companies and professionals from coastal metropolitan areas.
• Development of renewable energy and logistics centers.

For instance, Austin experienced a steady increase in its Deputy Job Index from 2022 to 2024, indicating strong and diversified job growth. San Francisco’s night-time economy is also recovering, aided by city-level initiatives and entertainment-driven regeneration.

This geographical reshuffling heralds a broader realignment of employment opportunities. HR executives need to broaden their recruitment efforts to access these emerging markets, in which there are plentiful young employees and a strong supply of labor.

#5 Raises: In Emerging Workforce Dynamics

Deputy’s Shift Pulse sentiment reports conclusively demonstrate that raises influence employee mood and retention.

• In retail, every $1 hourly wage bump made employees 1.6x as likely to have a positive shift sentiment.
• In hospitality, the same wage increase raised positivity by 13%.
• Retail received a modest 3.5% pay rise to $120, but 20% of retail shift workers remain set to quit.

The numbers imply that equitable pay is not a benefit; it’s a building block. Positive attitudes bring reduced turnover, increased engagement, and improved delivery of service. HR and operational leaders need to regard employee experience as an equally important measure alongside financial success.

Flexible scheduling, stability, and fair access to hours all play a substantial role in job satisfaction. Employers who spend money on workforce planning solutions that match worker preferences with business requirements will be leading the way in this sentiment-driven economy.

Shaping Emerging Workforce Dynamics

Deputy’s The Big Shift Report 2025 is a signal for how work itself is being redefined. This isn’t evolution at the edges; it’s a re-invention from the core. What’s clear is that the workforce of the future is already here: younger, digitally fluent, values-driven, and determined to work on their terms.

Read the report to access:

• Insights from labour economist Dr Shashi Karunanethy

• Industry reports on retail, hospitality, healthcare and services

• Trends for 2025 for the hourly workforce

Download the report now. 

HR innovators, decision-makers, and leaders today stand at a moment of truth. The options are either frozen systems that catered to yesterday‘s economy or adaptive, tech–savvy ecosystems that engage, inspire, and evolve. The companies that will succeed will be the ones that include flexibility as structure, sentiment as strategy, and building for inclusivity by default, not by necessity.

In this new era of work, every shift counts, not just in hours, but in impact. The real shift is not just in employment trends, it’s in mindset. And that shift, powered by purpose and enabled by technology, is the most exciting transformation of all.

Ready to Lead the Workforce Revolution?

Stay ahead of the curve with the newest insights informing the future of HR tech, talent strategy, and workforce innovation.

To participate in our interviews, please write to our HRTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com