A low-hire, low-fire labor market has made breaking into the workforce brutally hard for Gen Z. But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
New data from the Q3 2026 Small Business Index, produced by Justworks and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, show that 46% of Gen Z and millennial business owners plan to increase staff in the next year, compared with just 19% of owners in the baby boomer generation or older.
