PUSH-PULL THEORY IN BLACK AND WHITE: EXAMINING RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN FIRM STARTUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION

Abstract

Although Blacks in the United States suffered disproportionately high unemployment, housing and wealth losses during the Great Recession, little is known about the recession’s impact on Black entrepreneurship. This study uses data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to estimate the difference in probability of starting a business before and after the recession for Black and White households. While the likelihood of starting a business declined for Whites after the Great Recession there were no statistically significant changes in the rate of firm startups among Blacks. Evidence supports the prosperity pull hypothesis for White but not Black entrepreneurs.