We use data from the nationally representative Surveys of Small Business Finances to analyze differences by gender in the ownership of privately held U.S. firms, and to examine the role of gender in the availability of credit. We document a series of empirical regularities regarding male- and female-owned firms. Female-owned firms are smaller, younger, have fewer and shorter banking relationships, and are more likely to be credit constrained. Female owners are younger, less experienced, and not as well educated. Differences in credit outcomes are rendered insignificant in a multivariate setting, where we control for other firm and owner characteristics. Finally, we test the robustness of our findings by means of the propensity score matching method.
Gender and the Availability of Credit to Privately Held Firms: Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finances
Germana Giombini
2018
Abstract
We use data from the nationally representative Surveys of Small Business Finances to analyze differences by gender in the ownership of privately held U.S. firms, and to examine the role of gender in the availability of credit. We document a series of empirical regularities regarding male- and female-owned firms. Female-owned firms are smaller, younger, have fewer and shorter banking relationships, and are more likely to be credit constrained. Female owners are younger, less experienced, and not as well educated. Differences in credit outcomes are rendered insignificant in a multivariate setting, where we control for other firm and owner characteristics. Finally, we test the robustness of our findings by means of the propensity score matching method.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
