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What’s Driving the Decline in Entrepreneurship?

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  • Nicholas Kozeniauskas

Abstract

Why has there been a steady decline in entrepreneurship in the US in recent decades? To answer this question, I develop a general equilibrium occupation choice model and combine it with data on these choices. Skill-biased technical change can account for much of the decline in the relative entrepreneurship rate of more educated people, but cannot explain the decline in the aggregate level of entrepreneurship. The major factors in the decline in the share of people who are entrepreneurs, the firm entry rate, and the size of the entrepreneur sector are rising entry costs and outsized productivity gains by large non-entrepreneur firms.

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  • Nicholas Kozeniauskas, 2022. "What’s Driving the Decline in Entrepreneurship?," Working Papers w202217, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w202217
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    File URL: https://www.bportugal.pt/sites/default/files/anexos/papers/wp202217.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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