RT Journal Article
T1 Rising Inequality and Entrepreneurship during Economic Downturn: An Analysis of Opportunity and Necessity Entrepreneurship in Spain
A1 Aceytuno Pérez, María Teresa
A1 Sánchez López, Celia
A1 Paz Báñez, Manuela Adelaida de
AB There is a consensus among researchers that one of the most important effects of the recenteconomic downturn that started in 2009—also known as the Great Recession—in Spain has beenrising income inequality. In this context, researchers are concerned about the effects of inequalityon the economy, and this concern is even more marked now, when the world is facing a new crisisthat seems the equal of, or even more devastating than the last Great Recession as a consequenceof Covid-19. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies which consider the effects of inequality onentrepreneurship. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationshipbetween inequality and entrepreneurship in the context of an economic downturn. We focus on the17 autonomous communities in Spain during the Great Recession (2007–2013). Using unbalancedpanel data, we study the effect on entrepreneurial activity, differentiating between total, necessity- andopportunity-driven entrepreneurship. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, our results offernew empirical evidence concerning the relationship between growing inequality and entrepreneurialactivity, showing significant differences from results in the existing literature. Second, we explainhow, in a recessionary context of highly restricted financial resources, inequality can negatively affecttotal, necessity- and opportunity-based entrepreneurship, preventing a large part of the populationfrom engaging in this activity.
PB MDPI
SN 2071-1050
YR 2020
FD 2020-06
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18892
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18892
LA eng
NO Aceytuno  Pérez, M. T., Sánchez López, C., & de Paz Báñez, M. A. de. (2020). Rising Inequality and Entrepreneurship during Economic Downturn: An Analysis of Opportunity and Necessity Entrepreneurship in Spain. Sustainability, 12(11), 4540. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114540
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 13 jul 2026