Youth unemployment and entrepreneurship: An analysis of empirical evidence from Carchi, on Ecuador’s northern border
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61347/psa.v4i2.187Keywords:
Border, Ecuador, necessity-driven entrepreneurship, preference for entrepreneurship, youth unemploymentAbstract
Youth unemployment constitutes one of the main socioeconomic challenges in border regions, where entrepreneurship may represent an alternative pathway for economic integration in contexts of limited employment opportunities. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the duration of youth unemployment and the preference for entrepreneurship as a future employment alternative among unemployed young people in the province of Carchi, Ecuador. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted with a sample of 380 young people aged 18 to 29 years, of whom 232 were unemployed and formed the subgroup used for inferential analysis. Data were processed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Cramer’s V coefficient. The results showed a high prevalence of long-term unemployment and a considerable preference for entrepreneurship as an employment alternative. However, no statistically significant association was identified between the duration of unemployment and the preference for entrepreneurship (χ² = 9.902; df = 6; p = 0.129; V = 0.146). It was concluded that prolonged unemployment did not, by itself, determine a greater preference for entrepreneurship, suggesting the possible influence of economic, individual, institutional, and territorial factors.
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