Identifying Factors Causing Burnout in Young Workers: Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Young workers, such as Generation Z and early millennials, experience increased susceptibility to burnout symptoms compared to older age groups, so they need more in-depth attention. Based on this, this article conducts a systematic review of the literature that includes empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method) published in the period 2023 to 2025. This study uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to identify and synthesize empirical findings related to the factors that cause burnout in young workers. The guideline used in this study is PRISMA 2020. This review has screened articles from the google scholar database via publish & perish as many as 65 articles and found 11 selected articles that meet the inclusion criteria and eliminated according to the exclusion criteria. The article elimination flow has been briefly illustrated using the PRISMA flowchart diagram. The findings of this article review conclude that burnout in young workers is a multidimensional phenomenon that is mainly triggered by work factors, such as excessive workload, poor work-life balance, and role ambiguity. Individual factors including low self-efficacy and dual role pressures as well as organizational factors such as an exploitative work culture and lack of support also reinforce vulnerability to burnout. In addition, social pressure and digital media have also worsened the psychological condition of young workers.