LinkedIn's Top Tip for Entry-Level Job Seekers in 2026: Why Starting Small Is Your Best Career Move

Many entry-level workers are having a tougher time finding jobs these days. LinkedIn is sharing one tip that could help.

The Rise of Small Businesses for Young Jobseekers

The professional networking site published a list of its predictions for 2026 on Dec. 16. One proclaims, "The best career move for entry-level workers will be to start small." It predicts small businesses, defined as those with fewer than 250 employees, will be "the top destination for young jobseekers in 2026."

"When you look at who's hiring by company size, what we're seeing is that small businesses still offer a lot of advantages for entry-level workers," Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn's chief economist, tells CNBC Make It.

Why Small Businesses Are Key Opportunities

Small companies account for a large proportion of the workforce domestically and globally. The World Bank Group estimates small and medium enterprises constitute roughly 90% of all businesses and are responsible for more than 50% of global employment, as LinkedIn notes in its prediction. Entry-level and early-career workers also tend to make up a higher proportion of the workforce at small businesses than at larger firms.

"When you think of opportunities, that's the best way to start," Kimbrough says. "That's where a lot of opportunity lies."

The Bleak Picture for Entry-Level Workers

The picture for entry-level workers has been bleak in recent years. Entry-level hiring is down 23% from March 2020, compared to an 18% decline in overall hiring over the same period, according to a May LinkedIn report.

As of September 2025, the unemployment rate for both 20- to 24-year-old high school graduates without college degrees and 20- to 24-year-old college graduates with a bachelor's degree was 9.7%, according to data from the Federal Reserve, more than double the overall unemployment rate of 4.4% that month.

"You're facing a challenging job market where there are more applications for every job out there," Kimbrough says. "Small businesses are the best on-ramp right now."

Getting Your Foot in the Door

At very big employers, the average share of entry-level workers is "flat or shrinking," according to an October LinkedIn report on entry-level hiring. For workers just starting out, what matters is getting experience, regardless of the company's size, Kimbrough says.

"What's most important for new grads is getting their foot in the door," she says. "If you're not getting traction in a very large company that isn't hiring as much as they used to, don't forget the small companies that are all around you."