There is a consensus among researchers that one of the most important effects of the recent economic downturn that started in 2009—also known as the Great Recession—in Spain has been rising income inequality. In this context, researchers are concerned about the effects of inequality on the economy, and this concern is even more marked now, when the world is facing a new crisis that seems the equal of, or even more devastating than the last Great Recession as a consequence of Covid-19. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies which consider the effects of inequality on entrepreneurship. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between inequality and entrepreneurship in the context of an economic downturn. We focus on the 17 autonomous communities in Spain during the Great Recession (2007–2013). Using unbalanced panel data, we study the effect on entrepreneurial activity, differentiating between total, necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, our results offer new empirical evidence concerning the relationship between growing inequality and entrepreneurial activity, showing significant differences from results in the existing literature. Second, we explain how, in a recessionary context of highly restricted financial resources, inequality can negatively affect total, necessity- and opportunity-based entrepreneurship, preventing a large part of the population from engaging in this activity.

The objective of this article is to determine, as conclusively as possible, if the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) would lead to a significant reduction in the working age population labour supply. If this were true, implementation of a UBI may not be sustainable. To do this, we will compile empirical evidence from studies over the last few decades on the effects of implementation of a UBI on employment. We apply the PRISMA methodology to better judge their validity, which ensures maximum reliability of the results by avoiding biases and making the work reproducible. Given that the methodologies used in these studies are diverse, they are reviewed to contextualize the results taking into account the possible limitations detected in these methodologies. While many authors have been writing about this issue citing experiences or experiments, the added value of this article is that it performs a systematic review following a widely tested scientific methodology. Over 1200 documents that discuss the UBI/employment relationship have been reviewed. We found a total of 50 empirical cases, of which 18 were selected, and 38 studies with contrasted empirical evidence on this relationship. The results speak for themselves: Despite a detailed search, we have not found any evidence of a significant reduction in labour supply. Instead, we found evidence that labour supply increases globally among adults, men and women, young and old, and the existence of some insignificant and functional reductions to the system such as a decrease in workers from the following categories: Children, the elderly, the sick, those with disabilities, women with young children to look after, or young people who continued studying. These reductions do not reduce the overall supply since it is largely offset by increased supply from other members of the community.

This paper examines the relationship between income inequality and globalisation in 29 European countries over the period of 2005-2015, the period including phases of both growth and economic recession. Unlike other studies which analyse variations in inequality in specific countries or in both developed and developing economies, this study focuses on European countries, that is, high-income countries with highly developed economies. It investigates the influence on inequality exerted by trade and financial globalisation and technological development over the ten years through panel data multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that both trade globalisation and the degree of technological development are associated with reduction in inequality, while financial globalisation, and particularly foreign direct investment inward, are associated with increase in inequality. Furthermore, strong associations can be observed between the dimensions of the study in function of the average salaries and GDP per capita of different countries, reflected through partial correlations.

In the new work environment, self-employment as a formula and entrepreneurship as an attitude have gained prominence as a means to foster a more competitive economy and increase employment opportunities. Having an entrepreneurial attitude, in addition to being positive on a work level, can also have positive effects on the health of the entrepreneur. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between an entrepreneurial attitude and its influence on the general health of Spanish self-employed workers who possess these skills, compared to those who lack them. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out through random sampling of 1148 self-employed professionals throughout Spain from 21 different economic sectors. The results show the existence of a negative relationship between entrepreneurial attitude and age, that is to say, an entrepreneurial attitude decreases with age. With the sex variable, women show less entrepreneurial attitude and with mental health, decreased mental health was shown in those with a greater entrepreneurial attitude. On the other hand, there is a positive linearity between a positive attitude and the social function of the state of health.

We focus on the literature about UBI and the experiments developed all around the world to test it in order to address how UBI implementation could affect entrepreneurship. Building on these findings and various strands of entrepreneurial theory, we develop a theoretical framework to explain how the implementation of UBI would dramatically change the environment of entrepreneurial activity, shaping entrepreneurial action at three levels: (i) the desirability of becoming an entrepreneur; (ii) the perceived feasibility of becoming an entrepreneur; (iii) the propensity to act. Consequently, UBI implementation would arguably facilitate the decision to become an entrepreneur. The contribution of the paper is threefold. It firstly provides a theoretical framework that opens new directions for further research on the relationship between UBI and entrepreneurship. Secondly, it offers new insights for policy makers by shedding light on potential effects of UBI implementation. Finally, it raises further questions that remains unsolved related to the role of non-pecuniary motivations and financial constraints.