Business creation during COVID-19

Abstract

Using UK data, we present greater empirical detail on the puzzling firm dynamics that emerged during COVID-19. We show that firm entry increased during the pandemic across several countries, and this contrasts with typical recessions where firm entry declines. Additionally, the rise in firm entry is driven by individual entrepreneurs creating companies for the first time, particularly in online retail. We find evidence that firm creation responded significantly to declines in retail footfall, and that firms created during the pandemic are more likely to exit and less likely to post jobs. Overall this implies that, despite surging firm creation during the pandemic, the overall employment effect is limited. Finally, we find that the primary contributor to limited employment creation is the shift in ownership composition of new entrants during COVID.