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Family comes first: Reproductive health and the gender gap in entrepreneurship

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  • Zandberg, Jonathan

Abstract

Better access to reproductive healthcare increases women’s propensity to become entrepreneurs. Access correlates positively with female entrepreneurial activity and negatively with female entrepreneurial age. Examining firm size and personal income suggests it also improves the success of female-led businesses. None of these results hold when tested on men, women above 40, or other placebo professions. To establish causality, I exploit Roe v. Wade, state laws restricting abortion providers, and an index tracking state-level regulation of reproductive care. All three analyses suggest that policies securing better reproductive care enable more women to become entrepreneurs. I conclude by discussing various possible channels and mechanisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Zandberg, Jonathan, 2021. "Family comes first: Reproductive health and the gender gap in entrepreneurship," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(3), pages 838-864.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:140:y:2021:i:3:p:838-864
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2020.06.020
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    2. Bu, Di & Liao, Yin, 2022. "Land property rights and rural enterprise growth: Evidence from land titling reform in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    3. Sara Ain Tommar & Olga Kolokolova & Roberto Mura, 2022. "When Paid Work Gives in to Unpaid Care Work: Evidence from the Hedge Fund Industry Under COVID-19," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(8), pages 6250-6267, August.
    4. Matricano, Diego, 2022. "The influence of gender on technology transfer processes managed in Italian Young Innovative Companies: A stochastic frontier analysis," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    5. Lu, Runjing & Ye, Zihan, 2023. "Roe v. Rates: Reproductive Healthcare and Public Financing Costs," SocArXiv 7t5jz, Center for Open Science.
    6. Engelberg, Joseph E. & Guzman, Jorge & Lu, Runjing & Mullins, William, 2021. "Partisan Entrepreneurship," SocArXiv qhs6j, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; Self-employment; Gender; Abortions; Reproductive rights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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