Almost one in two young people report they think businesses see young workers as lazy, new data shows, but experts say the truth may be a different matter.

A survey by global jobs site Indeed asked almost 2400 young people about their experiences and attitudes towards work, finding 55 per cent felt businesses unfairly perceived their generation as lazy.

Johanna Wyn, distinguished professor in the youth research centre at the University of Melbourne told news.com.au young people weren't lazy but were in fact one of the hardest working generations.

"We're always bowled over by how much work these young people are doing let alone to get ahead," she said.

Professor Wyn, who oversees the long running life patterns study of young people looking at their attitudes and experiences, said Indeed's findings that young people felt hard done by were fair.

She said it was clear from almost 30 years of research young people worked incredibly hard to get ahead, despite some commentators labelling them the "avocado toast" generation.

"We're seeing this latest cohort in their late 20s have been working so hard to get the right credentials, live in the right place, to get the right job that's significant and meaningful," she said.

"This is a stereotype that is pervasive I'm not sure where it comes from."

Indeed also found 57 per cent of students surveyed said businesses don't recognise the importance of work/life balance.

Recent ABS data found only one in 20 fathers take primary parental leave, with many citing business push-back against requests to spend time with kids as the reason they can't.

Professor Wyn said this data proved how difficult business in Australia made it for many to juggle family and work.

"Part-time workers get discriminated against and most men feel they can't take advantage of paternity leave standards," she said.

"Workplaces aren't good for families and women."

THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL HANGOVER IN AUSTRALIA'S JOB MARKET

The Indeed data found most young people felt prepared for the jobs market, but about 1 in 5 said they felt their education had left them "unprepared" for working life.

In a sign of the times, many felt they lacked experience, or weren't even sure what jobs were suitable for them, or where to find jobs proving that for some it's not what you know it's who.

Indeed economist Callam Pickering told news.com.au it was clear from jobs data that young people in Australia had been struggling with finding work since the GFC, particularly as supermarket or hospitality roles — previously considered the go-to for young job seekers — are now filled by lifers.

"You look at pretty much any industry there appears to be a reduction in youth employment, It's not that these jobs can't be done, it's done by other people," he said.

"This is a world they've grown up in and it's affecting their experiences."

Sachin Santhosh, a 22 year old student in Melbourne, told news.com.au finding a job was incredibly difficult, as jobs often had thousands of applicants.

"Every market is oversaturated with 16-year-olds who are willing to do the job for dirt cheap or recent uni graduates who are able to get a job," he said.

"People I know who've studied science have to work at a supermarkets because they can't get a job."

Callam Pickering said young people suffered from a lack of economic opportunity, with low skilled workers suffering from an economy shifting to focus on high-skill jobs. "Where opportunities exist, they tend to be low-paid, casual and insecure," he said.

"The share of young people in part-time work has increased sharply over the past decade, across every industry and occupational group."

Santhosh said in his current job at a major supermarket he was often required to come in at short notice for long shifts, and many he worked with were unable to get leave.

"They call me at 5am asking me to start at 7am," he said.

"I have a few friends who've had kids and [the supermarket] has told them 'your wife is home, why do you need to be there too?' and told them to come back to work."

YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO FIND DIRECTION

Samantha Devlin, from The Careers Department — a resource for young people looking for work — told news.com.au many young people felt unprepared for work after study as universities were failing to explain how to make the jump from study to work.

"There's a huge hole in the market in telling stories about jobs that aren't represented by uni degrees," she said.

Devlin said the conversation around young people and the future of work needed to start at 16, not 21.

"When you choose what you're going to study after school it's the largest financial decision," she said.

"Parents, they've got a huge role as an influencer."