Women and the geography of start-ups in Canada

Entrepreneurship is a critical driver of economic growth and a critical force behind innovation in processes and products. However, its determinants across geographies and entrepreneurial traits remain insufficiently understood. Understanding such patterns can help inform policies to support entrepreneurs. This paper examines how entrepreneurial propensities differ between men and women in rural and urban areas in the Canadian context. It uses a panel dataset of over 80 million observations of individuals and firms from 2010 to 2019 available in the Canadian Employer-Employee Dynamics Database (CEEDD).