In another sign of a boom in entrepreneurship during the pandemic, “How to start a business,” beat “How to get a job,” in Google search queries in 2021.
Google’s just-released “Year in Search” showcases the tech giant’s data from the past 11-plus months, broken down into a list of global hot topics and interactive timelines. The company did not respond to a request to specify how many times people searched “How to start a business,” but its findings jibe with U.S. Census Bureau data, which show that new business formations, while lower than their all-time high in 2020, remained elevated this year. In November, more than 400,000 new business applications were filed.
People started businesses for all manner of reasons during the pandemic, from economic necessity to the growth of newer industries to simply having a extra time during lockdown. Some data indicate people also left their jobs during the pandemic to start businesses, amid massive labor turnover and demands for increased wages in industries like retail and hospitality.
According to Google, “How to ask for a raise” was the top “How to ask” search this year. U.S.-based searches for “job interview” through September 2021 surpassed 2019 levels, indicating a labor force on the move. Over 38 million people have quit their jobs in 2021 through October, with multiple months breaking job-quitting records.
Google said it plans to release more data on 2021 search trends.