The unemployment rate among 20- to 24-year-olds reached 9.7% in January 2002, compared with a national jobless rate of 5.6%. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers expect to hire 20% fewer new college graduates. In a response to the current economic climate, a desire for work-life balance, and a growing distrust of Corporate America, self-employment is becoming an attractive alternative to a difficult job search.
See "With job market tight, students start own businesses", Stephanie Armour, USA Today, March 4, 2002