How Age and Gender Matter in the Startup Phase of Businesses

• In Event: 4266 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 5. Employment and Careers

Abstract

Business startup and ownership type are influenced by social status, particularly age and gender, as well as social ties. Using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Adult Population Survey 2002-2012 US data, I present evidence that older people and women are less likely to engage in entrepreneurship, but older women are not doubly disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts. As concerns the type of business ownership, those who are sole owners are more likely to be older than 55, and there is little gender difference on being a sole owner or not when entrepreneurs are in the startup phase of their businesses. On the whole, the findings point to social foundations of entrepreneurship.

Author

• Julie S Kim