The Impact of Microenterprise Assistance Programs: A Comparative Study of Program Participants, Nonparticipants, and Other Low‐Wage Workers

Microenterprise has gained attention as a strategy to promote economic well‐being among the poor, but there is relatively little research to suggest whether microenterprise programs work. This study uses existing data to compare three groups: low‐income microentrepreneurs who participated in one of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Social service review (Chicago) 2002-06, Vol.76 (2), p.321-340
Main Author: Sanders, Cynthia K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Alleviation
Antipoverty Programs
Business
Business enterprises
Children
Credit
Economic development
Economic policy
Enterprises
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Government aid
Income
Low Income Groups
Low income people
Median family income
Poor
Poverty
Poverty line
Poverty relief
Programmes
Public assistance programs
Self Employment
Selfemployment
Small and medium sized enterprises
Small business
Social policy
Social services
U.S.A
United States
United States of America
USA
Wages
Welfare
Workers
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Summary:Microenterprise has gained attention as a strategy to promote economic well‐being among the poor, but there is relatively little research to suggest whether microenterprise programs work. This study uses existing data to compare three groups: low‐income microentrepreneurs who participated in one of seven U.S. microenterprise assistance programs, low‐income self‐employed workers not attached to microenterprise assistance programs, and low‐income wage workers not self‐employed. Analyses of household income and poverty status over time fail to suggest that microenterprise programs make significant gains for participants.
ISSN:0037-7961
1537-5404
DOI:10.1086/339664