The right job in 2026? The one you create yourself.

The riskiest career move in 2026 might be relying on your job. 

Last month shattered records. More people started businesses than ever before—not because of New Year's resolutions, but because they've done the math. While traditional employment grows more uncertain, the barriers to building your own business have collapsed.

The founder of Meia decided to launch a luxury travel gear brand over pursuing a 9-5—a decision that would have seemed reckless a decade ago but now feels prescient. And the founder of Anima Iris made the choice to build for herself rather than others, and now generates seven-figure revenue. They’re not alone. 

The landscape is brutal. Confidence in the job market has reached a record low, with 45% of U.S. adults not confident in their ability to land a decent job. Advanced economies are struggling the most, with hiring down 35% globally compared to pre-pandemic levels. Economic indicators swing wildly between recession worries and inflation concerns. Global conflicts reshape markets overnight. And then there's artificial intelligence—not some distant prediction but a present reality that’s automating tasks up and down the corporate ladder.

The old-school calculus of career risk has inverted. What once seemed like the sensible path forward now feels like standing still on shifting sand. Across demographics that rarely move in lockstep—grads, execs, everyone in between—people are arriving at the same question: What exactly are we waiting for?

In 2026, what's riskier—betting on yourself or betting on someone else?

The new math of risk

For most of the 20th century, the 9-to-5 job was a social contract. Companies offered pensions, health insurance, and predictable rungs to climb. 

It was a simple bargain: trade some autonomy for security. Come in, do good work, advance. That equation was built on the assumption of companies that lasted generations, skills that remained relevant for decades, and a pace of change measured in years, not months. None of those assumptions hold anymore.

@onefaithapparel Can't thank God enough bro 🥹🙏🏾🙌🏿🤞🏿#thankjesus #godisgood #christiantiktok #onefaithapparel ♬ suara asli - r4yy

Meanwhile, the hurdles to starting a business are lowering. The same technological forces changing 9-5 careers have democratized access to entrepreneurship.

This isn't about portraying entrepreneurship as easy. Building something from nothing demands everything. The hours are long, the stress is real, and success is never guaranteed. But those same qualities are now the price of admission for conventional employment too. Today's employees can end up working startup hours without startup equity, navigating constant pivots without decision-making power, and carrying entrepreneurial stress without entrepreneurial upside. The difference is that entrepreneurs direct that effort toward something they own. 

And with study after study after study showing that entrepreneurs experience higher rates of life satisfaction and well-being, perhaps the deepest human need isn't security—it's sovereignty over our own future. And for the first time in decades, that sovereignty is within reach for millions.

The disruption becomes the advantage

Uncertainty also creates opportunity for those willing to harness it. 

Take artificial intelligence. Yes, it's automating certain jobs. But it's also empowering entrepreneurs to do what previously felt impossible. AI-powered software can help brainstorm your business plan, design your logo, and build your storefront—tasks that once blocked founders for months. The technology that disrupts employment structures becomes a force multiplier for independent businesses. AI tools guide you through complex decisions, while advances in agentic commerce make it easier to find your first customers wherever they are.

The platform economy extends this leverage. Accept payments easily, ship globally, and connect with suppliers worldwide. Infrastructure that once was costly to build now comes plug-and-play. New merchants aren't hanging out a shingle, they're launching sophisticated operations from day one.

@shopirritated we are so grateful for all the orders coming through 😭😭😭🫶🫶❤️❤️❤️ thank you to everyone who has supported we cannot wait to get this serum into your hands and onto your body baby!!! Shop our site at the link in bio 🫶🫶💌💌💌#brandlaunch #timestamps #businessowners #canadianmade🇨🇦 #skincareserum ♬ original sound - Irritated

Brothers Satyajit and Ajinkya Hange left their banking careers to return to their family farmland in India. Today, Two Brothers Organic Farms employs over 100 people, generates millions in revenue, and has taught 9,000 other farmers how to go organic—all built on digital infrastructure that didn’t exist when they wore suits to work.

And look at Tenita Strand, the founder of Status Co. Leather Studio in Alabama. Approaching 50, newly divorced, with graduate degrees but facing rejection after rejection—9 in total—from traditional employers. Her response? “If they won’t hire you, ‘higher’ yourself.” Today she runs a thriving leather goods business by leveraging the same tools available to any entrepreneur with an idea and internet connection.

The playing field hasn't been leveled for entrepreneurs, it's been rebuilt in their favor.

Why wait for permission?

The record number of people choosing entrepreneurship reveals something deeper than seasonal ambition. It's a mass awakening—countless people deciding the myth of a stable job is more limiting than the reality of creating something yourself.

Against today’s backdrop, entrepreneurship starts to look less like taking a leap and more like taking control. If change is the only guarantee, better to be steering one’s own ship. 

In a world where 10-year plans seem quaint, entrepreneurship offers something rare: agency. Not certainty—nothing does—but the ability to build from your own vision instead of someone else’s. 

Last month, more people chose to bet on themselves than ever before. Maybe they're onto something.