Title: Job growth expectations among young entrepreneurs in Caribbean small-island states

Authors: Girjanauth Boodraj; Maheshwar Boodraj

Addresses: Faculty of Business and Management, University of Technology, Jamaica, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica ' Mona School of Business and Management, University of the West Indies, Mona Kingston 7, Jamaica

Abstract: This paper examines job growth expectations of young entrepreneurs in two small-island Caribbean states, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, using data from the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's Adult Population Survey. Results from regression analyses reveal that job growth expectations of young Jamaican entrepreneurs were lower compared to their counterparts in Trinidad and Tobago. Young male entrepreneurs are more likely to increase job growth compared to young female entrepreneurs in both islands. Moreover, the analysis indicated a positive relationship between educational levels of young entrepreneurs and projected job growth in both countries. However, the benefits of education were different in these countries: if the level of education is increased by the same degree in both countries, job growth is expected to be relatively higher in Jamaica versus Trinidad and Tobago.

Keywords: entrepreneurship education; entrepreneurship policy; youth entrepreneurs; young people; job growth expectations; Caribbean; small island states; Jamaica; Trinidad and Tobago; educational levels.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2017.081969

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2017 Vol.30 No.3, pp.460 - 475

Received: 27 Oct 2015
Accepted: 16 Dec 2015
Published online: 31 Jan 2017 *

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