Besides their common link with unemployment, unemployment benefits are also relevant to the decision to become an entrepreneur. We thoroughly explored this relationship for a panel of 23 EU countries over the period 2001–2019. Our results demonstrate that generous unemployment compensations hinder entrepreneurial initiative, and those opportunity entrepreneurs, who are more likely to create new jobs and innovation, are affected more. Contrary to common belief, we find an unequal pattern of effects, with higher benefits being more detrimental at the beginning of the unemployment spell. A favourable policy framework results in being relevant for entrepreneurial endeavours on its own; in addition, high-quality policies and programmes for entrepreneurs are found to temper the negative effects of large unemployment benefits on new business creation during long unemployment spells. Our results support the call for properly designed unemployment benefit systems (as both level and time pattern) that ensure an optimum balance between adequate income replacement and poverty prevention, on the one hand, and limited side effects on new venture creation, on the other hand.

除了与失业的共同联系外，失业救济还与成为企业家的决定相关。我们对 23 个欧盟国家在 2001 年至 2019 年期间的这种关系进行了深入探讨。我们的研究结果表明，慷慨的失业补偿阻碍了创业积极性，而那些更有可能创造新就业机会和创新的机会企业家受到的影响更大。与普遍看法相反，我们发现了一种不平等的影响模式，在失业初期，更高的福利带来的危害更大。有利的政策框架本身就与创业活动相关；此外，针对企业家的高质量政策和方案可以减轻长期失业期间大量失业救济金对新企业创造的负面影响。我们的研究结果支持正确设计失业救济制度（无论是水平还是时间模式）的呼吁，一方面确保充分的收入替代和预防贫困之间的最佳平衡，另一方面确保对新企业创建的副作用有限。