68,000 Brits earn a quarter of income on eBay

UK internet users are making a large part of their living trading on online auction service eBay, according to new figures.

More than 68,000 people in the UK earn at least a quarter of their income through sales made on eBay, according to new research conducted for eBay by ACNielsen.

The online survey reveals that the UK has the highest numbers of sellers who use eBay as their primary or secondary source of income in Europe.

Germany is ranked second for the number of people relying on the site to make a living, followed by France and Italy.

The survey also found 170,732 people across the EU depend on eBay for approximately one-quarter of their income, while more than 88,427 earn roughly three-quarters or more through their eBay sales.

Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer at eBay, said: “eBay has become a significant enabler of economic opportunity. At a time when Europe is striving to create jobs and promote small businesses, this survey shows that the internet allows European SMEs and entrepreneurs to compete and succeed in the global market.”