The relationship between firm formation and unemployment: Evidence from Türkiye

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the relationship between firm formation and unemployment using regional and city-level Turkish data. We focus on the post-2008 financial crisis period and analyze the effects of unemployment and other control variables on firm formation at NUTS-II and NUTS-III regions of Türkiye. We estimate a fixed-effects panel data model and control for GDP per capita, urbanization, population density, patents, high school education, and higher education. Our results suggest that there is a significant positive effect of unemployment on new firm formation. The analysis concerning the converse relation, the impact of firm formation on unemployment, reveals no significant results at the NUTS-II level; however, a significant negative relationship is found at the city level with 4- and 5-year lags. Unemployment; Firm Formation; Schumpeter Effect; Refugee Effect; Regional Analysis