Young people's thoughts about work during their teenage years play a surprisingly big role in their lives as adults. This is shown in the large Norwegian study Young in Norway, where researchers followed over 2,000 people for 28 years.
"This is the first international study to show that work values in youth significantly shape decisions in all major areas of life – not just in work or education", says OsloMet researcher Michal Kozák.
"Until now, we also didn’t know that young people’s thoughts about work are linked to whether they plan to move out of their parents’ home or their chances of ending up on welfare".
Together with University of Oslo researcher Tilmann von Soest, Kozák studied the connection between four types of work values in youth – intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, altruistic values, and challenge aversion – and how these relate to key aspects of adult life such as income, education, relationships, and parenthood.
This is the first international study to show that work values in youth significantly shape decisions in all major areas of life – not just in work or education.– Michal Kozák
Four types of teen work values
- Intrinsic values: These focus on meaning and self-development. Teens with these values want a job that gives personal growth, creativity, and a sense of purpose – more than high salary or status.
- Extrinsic values: These are about money, status, and prestige. Teens who value this want high pay, a secure job, and social recognition. They aim to "climb the ladder."
- Altruistic values: These are about helping others. Teens with these values want to contribute to society and work with or for people – for example, in healthcare, caregiving, or teaching.
- Challenge aversion: These teens want to avoid stress and demanding work. They prefer short days, lots of free time, and low pressure. They tend to avoid jobs that require effort or learning.
How these values affect adult life
"Teens who valued meaning, creativity, and personal growth in work tended to move out of their parents’ home earlier – but they also earned less as adults", says Kozák.
Those who appreciated helping others were more likely to marry and have children. Teens with extrinsic motivation – focused on high pay and status – had the highest income as adults.
The least successful group were those who preferred low-demand jobs and lots of free time. They ended up with lower education levels and weaker labor market attachment".
"Our data show that having high challenge aversion as a teen doubles the chance of receiving welfare benefits as an adult", says von Soest.
"It also lowers the chance of getting a university degree and is linked to earning nearly 50,000 NOK less per year.
Norwegian teens value self-development the most
The study found a clear pattern in what young people value most in working life. At the top of the list are intrinsic values – joy, personal development, and meaningful work.
Altruism – helping others and contributing to society, came second.
Extrinsic values like money, status, and material rewards came third. At the bottom was challenge aversion – a tendency to avoid risk or change at work.
"Although teens across the world often rate non-material job aspects higher than material ones, young Norwegians in our study showed surprisingly low ambition compared to youth in U.S. studies", Kozák says.
"This may be related to Norway’s culture of egalitarianism, where equality and community are core values. Standing out with unusually high ambitions may be seen as the opposite of being inclusive. Since everyone is encouraged to contribute in their own way, there is less focus on personal power and status" Kozák adds.
The values young people carry into adulthood are more than just ideals – they actually shape the overall course of their lives.– Michal Kozák
A need for early career guidance
"Our findings highlight the need for early and effective career guidance in schools", says Kozák.
He also points out that parents play an important role, as work values are often passed from parents to children.
"Parents’ opinions, activities, and advice related to work likely play a big role in shaping their children's ambitions and preferences", he says.
The study, published in the Journal of Education and Work, clearly shows that the values young people carry into adulthood are more than just ideals – they actually shape the overall course of their lives.
Important parts of adult life, like having a job, a home of your own, and a family, are strongly influenced by attitudes that begin forming as early as in high school.
Reference
Kozák, M. & Von Soest, T. (2025). Adolescent work values and adult attainment in key social domains two decades later: evidence from a population-based longitudinal study of Norwegian men and women. Journal of Education and Work (tandfonline.com)
About the study
The Young in Norway study has been ongoing since 1992. Researchers have followed several thousand people who were teenagers in the early 1990s through to adulthood. They have tracked how teenagers’ attitudes about work connected with how their lives turned out – in terms of education, income, family, and housing.
