Only 46% of young Britons think a job can pay their ideal income, eBay survey finds

Online marketplace eBay and the British youth charity The King's Trust have launched eBay Self Made, a programme to help young people in the United Kingdom start and run their own businesses. The launch, reported on 6 October 2026, came with new eBay research showing that only 46% of British 18 to 24-year-olds believe a full-time job can realistically give them their ideal income. The same survey found that 40% would like to start a business in future, but large numbers lack the practical skills and knowledge of funding needed to do it. The programme will teach skills including the use of AI tools, live streaming and community building.

The survey captures a shift that is visible among young people in many countries: a growing doubt that a single salaried job is enough, and a strong interest in building income on their own terms. Many young people already sell products, offer services online or build a following on social media. What the numbers show is a gap between that ambition and the less glamorous skills that keep a business alive.

Being confident about marketing online is not the same as knowing how to keep accounts, buy stock at the right price or apply for a grant. Those are the areas where young founders most often run into trouble, and they are exactly where the survey found confidence lowest. Nearly half did not know where to look for starting money, which suggests that information, not just capital, is a barrier.

The programme's focus on AI tools and live streaming reflects how small online businesses now find customers, but the survey makes clear that basic business literacy matters just as much. For young people anywhere, including in India, the lesson is practical: a side business has a better chance if its founder learns to track money, understand costs and find the support schemes available, alongside building an audience.

Short-term: Young people in the UK can join eBay Self Made for training in online selling, AI tools and business basics, with The King's Trust's support.

Long-term: If such programmes close the skills gap, more young people may turn side projects into lasting businesses rather than abandoning them early. Similar partnerships between platforms and youth groups may appear in other countries.

Who is affected: Young people aged 18 to 24 considering self-employment, online sellers, youth charities, and governments and companies designing support for young entrepreneurs.

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