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The role of wealth in the start-up decision of new self-employed: Evidence from a pension policy reform

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  • Li, Yue
  • Mastrogiacomo, Mauro
  • Hochguertel, Stefan
  • Bloemen, Hans

Abstract

We study whether wealth affects transitions from wage-employment to self-employment using a large sample from administrative panel data for the Netherlands. To isolate the causal effect of wealth, we rely on a reform of the pension system that abolished preferential tax treatment of early retirement for cohorts born after January 1, 1950. This exogenous reduction in pension wealth has a significant negative effect on the transition into self-employment. We compute that the average reduction of net future pension wealth by 16,000 euros in our sample, triggered by the reform, reduces the transition rate into self-employment by 38%.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Yue & Mastrogiacomo, Mauro & Hochguertel, Stefan & Bloemen, Hans, 2016. "The role of wealth in the start-up decision of new self-employed: Evidence from a pension policy reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 280-290.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:41:y:2016:i:c:p:280-290
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2016.05.028
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    Cited by:

    1. Elitcha Koffi & Fonseca Raquel, 2018. "Self–Employment, Wealth and Start–up Costs: Evidence from a Financial Crisis," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(3), pages 1-28, July.
    2. Francesco Caloia & Mauro Mastrogiacomo & Irene Simonetti, 2023. "Shocks to Occupational Pensions and Household Savings," Working Papers 775, DNB.
    3. Nolan, Anne & Barrett, Alan, 2019. "The role of self-employment in Ireland’s older workforce," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    4. Harris, M.N. & Zhao, X. & Zucchelli, E., 2016. "The dynamics of health and labour market transitions at older ages: evidence from a multi-state model," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 16/30, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Self-employment; Pension policy reform; Exogenous wealth shock;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • C36 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation

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