83% of Americans View Business Ownership as a Viable Alternative to Traditional Jobs

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Entrepreneurship & Opportunity – Donut Chart
Entrepreneurship & Opportunity

Americans see business ownership as a stronger opportunity than traditional jobs

70% of Americans believe business ownership offers greater opportunities—like career stability and financial growth—than traditional jobs in today’s economy, with younger generations even more optimistic.

Donut chart showing overall Americans and generational optimism about business ownership Overall Americans 70%. Gen Z 73%, Millennials 79%, Gen X 71%, Baby Boomers 60%. 70%
70%
of Americans believe business ownership offers greater opportunities—such as career stability and financial growth—than traditional jobs in today’s economy.
Generational optimism (outer to inner rings)
  • Millennials
    Ages 29–44 · Most optimistic cohort
    79%
  • Gen Z
    Ages 18–28 · Strongly optimistic
    73%
  • Gen X
    Ages 45–60 · Solid majority
    71%
  • Baby Boomers
    Ages 61–79 · Still majority, but less intense
    60%

man in 70s

Fear of age discrimination still influences career decisions.

Ageism and Employment Choices

Percentage who say business ownership is the best protection against ageism.

Overall
69%
Gen Z
67%
Millennials
76%
Gen X
69%
Baby Boomers
63%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Millennials feel the most protected by business ownership.
Nearly three in four Millennials (76%) say owning a business is the best protection against ageism. Americans overall and Gen X follow at 69%, with Gen Z (67%) and Baby Boomers (63%) slightly less convinced.

 

businesswoman

Over half of people say they would look for a job rather than start a business if AI made them obsolete.

AI-Related Disruption

Business ownership as the key to thriving in an AI-driven world

61% of Americans say business ownership is the key to thriving in an AI-driven world, with even stronger agreement among younger generations.

All Americans
61%

Believe business ownership is the best way to thrive amid AI-related disruption.

Overall belief
Gen Z
68%

Young workers are especially likely to see ownership as their path to stability in an AI era.

Ages 18–28
Millennials
71%

The most confident group: over seven in ten say business ownership is the key to thriving with AI.

Ages 29–44
Gen X
60%

Gen X closely mirrors the national average in seeing ownership as protection in an AI-driven world.

Ages 45–60

man holding childMost parents value an entrepreneurial mindset for their child, regardless of career path.

 

Parental views: Three in four parents (75%) value an entrepreneurial mindset for their child, regardless of career path.

Parents & Business Ownership Support

Most parents see helping fund a child’s business as a powerful long-term investment, with Millennials and Gen X most likely to prioritize it over traditional milestones like weddings or a first home.

83%
All Parents

More than four in five parents say funding a child’s business is a good investment in their long-term financial security.

60%
Gen Z Parents

Six in ten Gen Z parents say supporting a child’s business is more important than milestones like a wedding or home.

78%
Millennial Parents

Nearly eight in ten Millennials strongly favor funding a child’s business over other financial support goals.

73%
Gen X Parents

Gen X parents closely follow Millennials in seeing business funding as a top priority for their children.

60%
Baby Boomer Parents

Like Gen Z, six in ten Boomer parents prioritize business support, but with less intensity than Millennials and Gen X.

Model: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Entrepreneur's Source from October 8-10, 2025 among 2,087 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,313 are parents.