Title: Economic outcomes of female immigrant entrepreneurship

Authors: Angeline Low

Addresses: Faculty of Business, University of Technology Sydney, Private P.O. Box 324, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia

Abstract: The contribution of female immigrant entrepreneurs is not acknowledged in debates about the economic impact of Australian immigration. Often, the controversial immigration debate evolves around questions such as: What contributions do immigrants make? Do immigrants take jobs from non-immigrants? Do immigrants create jobs? Do immigrants have higher unemployment rates than non-immigrants? Unfortunately, such debates attract anti-immigration views such as: immigrants are highly welfare-dependent and are welfare cheats; immigrants avoid paying taxes; immigrants employ their own kind; immigrants operate in the black economy; immigrants commit crimes; and many other negative expressions that add to the paranoia against immigrants and immigration policies. This paper engages in the immigration debate by examining the economic contributions of a group of Asian-born women entrepreneurs in Sydney. This empirical study shows that they make significant economic contributions to the creation of new businesses and jobs in addition to other non-quantifiable economic benefits to Australia.

Keywords: female immigrants; economic outcomes; job creation; innovation; class; ethnicity; ethnic minorities; ethnic entrepreneurship; Asian-born entrepreneurs; women entrepreneurs; female entrepreneurs; Australia; unemployment rates; economic benefits.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2008.017301

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2008 Vol.5 No.3/4, pp.224 - 240

Published online: 24 Feb 2008 *

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