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With a little help from our friends: The effect of USAID assistance on SME growth in a transition economy

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  • Bah, El-hadj
  • Brada, Josef C.
  • Yigit, Taner

Abstract

Using survey data on Macedonian firms that participated in USAID programs providing technical and financial assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and on firms that did not, we estimate the effectiveness of such assistance in increasing the growth of employment in the assisted firms. We control for selection bias in program participation and use both kernel and caliper propensity score matching to estimate the excess growth of employment in assisted firms. We find that assistance programs raised employment growth by 16-20 percentage points in the first year after assistance and by 26-30 points by the third year.

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  • Bah, El-hadj & Brada, Josef C. & Yigit, Taner, 2011. "With a little help from our friends: The effect of USAID assistance on SME growth in a transition economy," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 205-220, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:39:y:2011:i:2:p:205-220
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    2. Muraközy, Balázs & Telegdy, Álmos, 2023. "The effects of EU-funded enterprise grants on firms and workers," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 216-234.
    3. Askarov, Zohid & Doucouliagos, Hristos, 2015. "Development Aid and Growth in Transition Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 383-399.
    4. Stjepan Srhoj & Michael Lapinski & Janette Walde, 2019. "Size matters? Impact evaluation of business development grants on SME performance," Working Papers 2019-14, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    5. Asdrubali, Pierfederico & Signore, Simone, 2015. "The Economic Impact of EU Guarantees on Credit to SMEs – Evidence from CESEE Countries," EIF Working Paper Series 2015/29, European Investment Fund (EIF).
    6. Bartz, Wiebke & Mohnen, Pierre & Schweiger, Helena, 2016. "The role of innovation and management practices in determining firm productivity in developing economies," MERIT Working Papers 2016-034, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Caio Piza & Tulio Antonio Cravo & Linnet Taylor & Lauro Gonzalez & Isabel Musse & Isabela Furtado & Ana C. Sierra & Samer Abdelnour, 2016. "The Impact of Business Support Services for Small and Medium Enterprises on Firm Performance in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 1-167.
    8. Francesca Cassano & Karin Jõeveer & Jan Svejnar, 2013. "Cash flow vs. collateral-based credit," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 21(2), pages 269-300, April.
    9. Rakićević, Zoran & Omerbegović-Bijelović, Jasmina & Lečić-Cvetković, Danica, 2016. "A model for effective planning of SME support services," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 30-40.

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