Page 53 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

Table 2. Percentage of workers aged 15-64 years in self-employment by
country of birth, 2009

Foreign- Foreign-
Country Natives Country Natives
born born
Austria 8.4% 9.4% Latvia 7.2% 8.5%
Belgium 12.3% 14.5% Lithuania 6.5% n.a.

Bulgaria 8.6% n.a. Luxembourg 6.6% 6.5%
Cyprus 17.1% 10.5% Malta 12.4% n.a.

Czech Republic 15.6% 22.7% Netherlands 11.6% 11.6%
Denmark 7.3% 11.1% Norway 6.0% 7.0%
Estonia 7.5.% 7.0% Poland 11.5% n.a.

Finland 10.2% 13.4% Portugal 14.5% 12.6%
France 8.5% 11.2% Romania 7.2% n.a.
Greece 25.8% 10.4% Slovenia 8.3% 9.1%

Hungary 10.8% 15.4% Spain 15.6% 10.4%
Iceland 10.4% n.a. Sweden 8.4% 10.6%

Ireland 14.0% 9.4% UK 12.0% 14.7%
Italy 22.6% 15.6.%

Source: Cedefop’s calculations, based on Eurostat, Labour Force Survey, date of
extraction 8 March 2011.
Agriculture, fishery and forestry are excluded from the calculations.
Various studies note differences between ethnicities in their likelihood of
involvement in entrepreneurial activities. For example, in Germany, France and
Romania, Turkish migrants are notable for their involvement in entrepreneurial
activities, and in the UK the Chinese, Indians and Pakistanis are the main
entrepreneurial immigrant groups (Triodos Facet, 2008).
Employment background also matters to entrepreneurial activity in Europe.
For example, the likelihood of being involved in entrepreneurial activity is three to
four times higher for those women who also are employed in a wage job (whether
full or part time) compared to those who are not working, are retired, or are
students (Allen et al., 2008).
When compared to non-entrepreneurs, both female and male entrepreneurs
in Europe tend to be more confident in their own skills, are more likely to know
other entrepreneurs, and are more alert to the existence of unexploited
opportunities than individuals who indicate no entrepreneurial activity (Allen et al.,
2008).

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