Who do members of Gen Z want to work for most in the future? Themselves.
A recent survey by EY Ripples and JA Worldwide of 6,000 current and former JA Worldwide participants born between 1997 and 2007 found that 53% aspire to run their own business within the next ten years. This percentage rises to 65% among those already in the workforce.
This strong interest in entrepreneurship is driven by several factors. Traditional paths to career success—like higher education and climbing the corporate ladder—feel increasingly out of reach and less certain. At the same time, starting a business is becoming cheaper, more resources are available for entrepreneurs, and it’s easier than ever to experiment with entrepreneurship.
“The survey results show that this generation desires careers that allow for ‘original thought and ideas,’ which ranked highest among the qualities Gen Z seeks in their ideal job,” says Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide. “Entrepreneurship fulfills this need for creative control.”
The Do-It-Yourself Generation
Born with the internet and raised with mobile technology, Gen Z is used to finding solutions and answers on their own.
“Gen Z was more digitally connected during their formative years than any previous generation, so it’s not surprising that survey respondents feel technologically skilled and self-sufficient,” says Julie Teigland, managing partner of EY Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa. “Today’s digitally driven educational landscape gives Gen Z early exposure to the empowering world of entrepreneurship, enabling them to apply those skills right away.”
Jonah Stillman, a 21-year-old author, speaker, and co-founder of the Gen Z research firm GenGuru, believes that access to information has fostered a sense of independence in young people, making entrepreneurship seem more attainable.
“In the book I coauthored with my dad, *Gen Z At Work*, we identified seven key traits of Gen Z, one of which is being the ‘do it yourself generation,’” he says. “We’re a generation that strongly believes we can accomplish a lot on our own, whether in entrepreneurship or in general, thanks to easy access to information.”
Lowering the Barriers to Starting a Business
Millennials, those born between 1980 and the mid-1990s, also grew up with the internet, but they felt less empowered to start their own businesses compared to Gen Z, often due to financial limitations.
A 2016 study by EY showed that 18- to 34-year-olds at the time held similarly positive views of entrepreneurship—78% saw entrepreneurs as successful, and 62% had thought about starting their own business. However, 42% of respondents said they lacked the financial means to do so.
“The barrier to entry is much lower now,” says Stillman. “Today, anyone—whether they’re in Gen Z or not—can take all the necessary steps to start a business on their own, often within 24 hours.”
Stillman points out that aspiring entrepreneurs can now build a website, register an LLC, open an online store, or join an online marketplace within hours, often at little or no cost. Various tools and services are also available to help them manage aspects of their business, such as accounting, marketing, and business management software.
Additionally, while entrepreneurship was once seen as a full-time endeavor, the rise of side hustles and more casual entrepreneurial opportunities now allows people to run their own businesses while keeping a full-time job or continuing their studies.
“In today’s world, you can realistically do both, and it’s not just for overachievers,” says Stillman. “You can start a business with less risk and cost, simply to see if it works. If it does, your side hustle can become your main focus.”
Rejecting an Uncertain Model
Another factor driving Gen Z’s interest in entrepreneurship is a growing skepticism about the traditional model of career success that previous generations followed. The rising cost of education and the impact of the 2008 recession have led many to question the belief that higher education guarantees stable, long-term employment.
“A lot of these 10- to 14-year-olds saw their parents, siblings, and relatives getting laid off and decided, ‘I’m not going to let that happen to me,’” says Bernhard Schroeder, a senior lecturer and director of the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center at San Diego State University. “Gen Z has an independent streak when it comes to securing their future. They don’t have it all figured out yet, but they don’t see the point of working for a big company for years only to be laid off at any moment.”
Schroeder notes that the pandemic and its economic fallout have further weakened the belief that full-time employment is the best path to financial security.
“The pandemic has taught this generation of entrepreneurs that A) You don’t need a corporate headquarters; B) You need to think globally; C) You need to think in a decentralized way; and D) The future is going to be remote,” he says. “This gives them a real sense of freedom—the ability to run everything using technology while living the kind of life they want, driven by more than just money.”
What This Means for Employers
The strong interest in entrepreneurship might suggest that this generation will be harder to recruit for traditional roles, but that’s not necessarily the case. While most Gen Z members want to pursue entrepreneurship in some form over the next ten years, it doesn’t mean they’ll completely reject traditional employment. However, studies like the one conducted by EY offer insights into how employers can attract and manage this highly independent generation.
“When I think about entrepreneurship, it doesn’t necessarily mean starting a company,” says 24-year-old Alex Heintze, author of *The Generation Z Entrepreneur*. “I see entrepreneurship more as a mindset, where people can embrace entrepreneurial thinking, even within organizations.”
Heintze believes that Gen Z workers will expect a high degree of independence and autonomy in any work environment. This includes flexibility in where, when, and how they work, as well as the ability to have some control over their work, whether they’re self-employed or working within an organization. “The workplace may need to change slightly to encourage more entrepreneurial thinking and innovation, allowing people to take more ownership of their work,” he says.
