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Are Business Start-Ups Liquidity Constrained? Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Allocation of Housing Wealth in East Germany

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  • Tobias Fuchs
  • Georg Gebhardt

Abstract

Are entrepreneurs liquidity constraint? Using quasi-random housing wealth variation resulting from communist era decisions, we argue yes, as we find that wealthier East Germans are more likely to become self-employed after reunification. In the literature, no such strong relationship was found using regional house price changes the US and UK. In these economies, our results suggest, the effects of liquidity constraints are masked by anticipatory savings of the would be self-employed, which was impossible for the East Germans in our sample due to communism.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Fuchs & Georg Gebhardt, 2019. "Are Business Start-Ups Liquidity Constrained? Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Allocation of Housing Wealth in East Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 7765, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7765
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-employment; financial constraints; wealthy households; starting capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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