Research

Since 2015, we have aligned to the vision of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, of which SDG 8 ‘decent work and economic growth’ is a key focus area. In order to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all*” Meta has championed the advancement of economic opportunities for the 200M+ businesses we serve on our platform. We do this by supporting digital access for all, boosting liquidity to diverse businesses, and addressing youth unemployment.

One of the chief concerns arising from the covid-19 pandemic is around its impact on young people. Young adults, in particular, have adapted to the change in the economic landscape of this global crisis in a way that has shifted a generation’s traditional career trajectories towards entrepreneurship. As businesses rebuild the economy against the pandemic backdrop, we wanted to understand what drivers most impact youth in pursuing their career aspirations.

With the support of Meta, Economist Impact surveyed 3000+ GenZers and Millennials globally, to understand the impact of covid-19 on entrepreneurship and employment perspectives. We wanted to explore how businesses can support the next generation of entrepreneurs, and underscore the importance of young peoples’ voices in this dialogue.

With this research, we identify the factors driving young people toward (or away from) entrepreneurship in a time of prolonged crisis—and to surface implications and recommendations. Our goal is to provide businesses and leaders with the tools to foster youth entrepreneurship and employment as we build back better.