The Case For and Against Millennials as the Greatest Entrepreneurial Generation (Infographic) A look at the factors influencing the generation born between 1981 and 1997.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Will millennials prove themselves the greatest entrepreneurial generation, or the lost entrepreneurial generation? That is the question.

The generation born between 1981 and 1997 has grown up on the Internet and had access to entrepreneurship courses in college like no generation before, according to entrepreneurship organization the Kauffman Foundation in its 2015 State of Entrepreneurship Study.

At the same time, they also have a dubious amount of student loan debt to pay off, and many millennials struggled to find a job right out of college. Work experience and money in the bank are huge benefits for starting a business.

Related: Millennial Misconceptions: How You're Totally Wrong About This Generation

Have a look at the infographic, embedded below, summarizing why millennials are ideally suited to jump start declining rates of entrepreneurship in the U.S. and what's holding them back.

Click to Enlarge

The Case For and Against Millennials as the Greatest Entrepreneurial Generation (Infographic)

Related: This Is How Millennials Want to Be Managed

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Franchise

The 10 Best Franchises to Open in 2018

Here's everything you need to know about the startup costs, training and investment opportunities from the top 10 companies in our Franchise 500.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business Ideas

Is Your Business Healthy? Why Every Entrepreneur Needs To Do These 3 Checkups Every Year

You can't plan for the new year until you complete these checkups.

Leadership

The End of Bureaucracy — How Leadership Must Evolve in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

What if bureaucracy, the very system designed to maintain order, is now the greatest obstacle to progress?

Business News

A New Hampshire City Was Named the Hottest Housing Market in the U.S. This Year. Here's the Top 10 for 2024.

Zillow released its annual lists featuring the top housing markets, small towns, coastal cities, and geographic regions. Here's a look at the top real estate markets and towns in 2024.