Britain's street markets are drawing an unexpected wave of highly educated young entrepreneurs, according to exclusive research shared with the Guardian by the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF). One in five young traders now holds a master's degree, PhD or medical doctorate, and separate figures from the street food collective Kerb show almost three-quarters of its founders have degrees, with one in four holding postgraduate qualifications. The shift matters because it signals a change in how young graduates view work, choosing self-employment in the face of an uncertain jobs market rather than conventional professional careers.

The traders behind the stalls now include solicitors, architects, bankers, nurses and PhD students, with around 95% working full-time rather than as a side hustle. NMTF chief executive Joe Harrison said the change had emerged in the past two to three years, driven by shifting attitudes to work and the appeal of "AI-proof" entrepreneurial opportunities. Case studies include a former solicitor selling watercolour paintings, a Durham history graduate selling gaming cards, and an MBA graduate expanding a henna business. Experts note that a master's is increasingly an "entrepreneurial qualification", with universities adding more enterprise and freelancing training, while markets let traders test products at low financial risk.