Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, 1996-2006

Abstract:     
The Kauffman Index measures the monthly rate of business creation at the individual owner level, reporting the percent of non-business owners who start businesses with more than fifteen hours worked per week. The matched basic monthly files from the Current Population Survey (CPS) provide a uniquely large, nationally representative panel dataset for measuring this entrepreneurial activity. The total sample size for the period from 1996 to 2006 for the adult population is over eight million. Detailed demographic information available in the CPS and large sample sizes also allow for estimates of separate indices by gender, race, education, age, and immigrant status. Indices for all states and for the largest MSAs are also calculated.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, entry, new business, Current Population Survey, Kauffman Foundation

JEL Classifications: D2,D5,E32,E66,H32,J1,J21,L00,L6,L7,L8,M13,N10,O18

Working Paper Series