Fact Sheets

Conducted Nov-Dec 2007 with young adults/influencers
of young adults in five-market test

Young adults are optimistic about this generation’s standard of living as compared to their parents.

• 43% of young adults say that their standard of living will be better
• 31% of young adults expect a similar standard of living to their parents
• 22% of young adults are not as optimistic, expecting their standard of living to be worse than their parents’ generation

Along with earning a college degree and learning the right job skills, young adults place a great deal of importance on home and small business ownership.

• 95% say it is important for young adults to own a home
• 98% say it is important to have the right job skills
• 91% say it is important to have a college degree
• 60% expect it to be harder for them to buy a home than their parents
• 89% of influencers of young adults believe it is important for young adults to own a home
• 63% of influencers of young adults expect it to be harder for that generation to buy a home than it was for them

While owning a business is not as high a priority as getting a college degree, owning your own home, or having the right job skills, there are still many young adults in all markets who would like to some day start their own company.

• 54% of young adults feel that it is important for them to own their own business
• African-Americans (79%) and Hispanics (63%) are particularly keen on business ownership.
• The top reasons to own their own business:

                1.  independence (32%)
                2.  financial security (21%)
                3.  personal fulfillment (14%)

• 79% of young adults view having enough money to get a small business started as a big problem
• 66% of young adults and 61% of influencers of young adults say that the funding will most likely come from a bank loan

This random sample telephone survey of 2,502 adults ages 18 to 29 and 1,001 adults ages 30 and older who have influence on a young adult ages 18 to 29 was fielded on behalf of the U.S. Army by KRC from November 14 to December 9, 2007, in the following markets: Albany, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Montgomery, Alabama, San Antonio, Texas, and Seattle, Washington. The margin of error for prospects is +/- 2.0% and the margin of error for parents of young adults is +/- 3.1%at the 95% confidence level.