PUBLICATIONS

We welcome information about research using EPOP Survey data. Please notify us at EPOPresearch@norc.org if you have research—a journal article, research brief, book chapter, or other publication—which you would like displayed on this page.

The age of impact: How mission-driven entrepreneurship varies with age

Learn More August 26, 2026

Leveling the Playing Field? Generative AI and Entrepreneurial Storytelling

Learn More August 23, 2026

Strategic Artificial Intelligence Use and Microbusiness Performance: Evidence from U.S. Minority-Owned Business

Learn More August 2026

Developing artificial intelligence benchmarks for entrepreneurial tasks

Learn More July 28, 2026

Beyond the silver bullet: How entrepreneurial legacy catalyses formal business support benefits for female entrepreneurs

Learn More May 25, 2026

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Entrepreneurship

Learn More April 2026

Measuring Entrepreneurial Activities in the U.S.: Introducing the EPOP Survey

This journal article introduces the nationally representative Entrepreneurship in the Population (EPOP) Survey, highlighting its innovative approach to capturing the full spectrum of entrepreneurial activities in the U.S. and outlining its design, measurement strategy, and forthcoming longitudinal data to advance research on entrepreneurial pathways.

Learn More March 2, 2026

How Do Workers Think About the Costs and Benefits of Freelance Work?

Learn More February 6, 2026

Different Disabilities, Different Paths: How Disability Type and Venture Support Shape Entrepreneurial Exit

Learn More January 9, 2026

Staff Report from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for Congress

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation compiled this 2025 Staff Report for Congress. The Office hopes that this report, which includes EPOP data, will help small businesses, investors, and all who support them to understand how capital is being raised and invested, and by whom.

Learn More January 2026

Political alignment in entrepreneurial teams: Homophily in venture formation and associations with startup success

Learn More December 10, 2025

Political alignment in entrepreneurial teams: Homophily in venture formation and associations with startup success

Learn More November 20, 2025

Evolving Entrepreneurship Patterns in the U.S.: Findings, Trends, and Next Steps for EPOP

The EPOP Survey Project has released its fourth wave of data, capturing a detailed snapshot of entrepreneurial activity in America in 2025. The accompanying research brief highlights key trends since the survey’s launch in 2022, including a continued decline in individuals considering new business ventures and a steady increase in former business owners. Participation in freelance and digital platform work has remained relatively stable, underscoring the continued importance of non-traditional employment in the U.S. economy.

Learn More September 30, 2025

Gendered Innovation Landscapes: Entrepreneurial Patenting in Male- and Female-Dominated Industries

Learn More June 18, 2025

Gender Gaps in the Gig Economy: Consequences for Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century

Learn More June 17, 2025

Balancing Risk and Reward: Health Insurance and the Financial Stability of Female Entrepreneurs with Children

Learn More May 2025

The Online Platform Based “Gig” Workforce in the U.S.

This paper uses EPOP data to examine work arrangements in the “gig economy,” specifically focusing on work coordinated through an online platform.

Learn More February 2025

Good Jobs or Bad Jobs? Immigrant Workers in the Gig Economy

Learn More January 15, 2025

Start-Up Capital for U.S. Business Ventures: Evidence from EPOP:2024

The EPOP Survey Project has released the 2024 data on entrepreneurship in America and a new research brief focusing on challenges with obtaining capital to start new businesses. Exploring both traditional and emerging sources of capital, the EPOP:2024 data reveals that most business owners rely on their personal assets—credit cards in particular--to fund their start-ups. Entrepreneurs frequently apply for capital from external sources, but relatively few ultimately receive this funding.

Learn More December 19, 2024

Minority Business Retail Growth

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) examined minority entrepreneurs in the retail industry using EPOP:2023 data. Their report “Assessing Challenges and Opportunities for Minority Business Retail Growth” focuses on small Black-owned retail businesses. This analysis utilizes EPOP data to underscore obstacles for Black retailers, such as, finding customers, doing taxes, and networking.

Learn More September 2024

Entrepreneurship Experiences Among Young U.S. Immigrants

NORC’s research brief “Entrepreneurship Experiences Among Young U.S. Immigrants” provides insight into U.S. immigrants’ experiences with entrepreneurship and challenges faced when pursuing self-employment. Focusing on younger adults under the age of 40, this analysis using EPOP:2022 data finds immigrants are more inclined to start businesses compared to their native-born counterparts.

Learn More July 19, 2024

Patterns of Entrepreneur Role Exit in Business Venturing Journal

A peer-reviewed article utilizing the EPOP Survey dataset has been published in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights. The article examines current and former entrepreneurs to provide insights into why individuals exit business ownership and what predicts entrepreneur success.

Learn More June 2024

Empowering Women in Business

This master’s thesis "Empowering Women in Business: Understanding and Supporting the Unique Journey of Female Entrepreneurs" comes from the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark and utilizes the EPOP:2023 questionnaire.

Learn More May 15, 2024

AEO Studies Black Business Ownership

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) analyzed Black business ownership using US Census and EPOP Survey data. The AEO report covers the growth achieved and challenges remaining for Black entrepreneurs.

Learn More February 2024

Entrepreneurial Background and the Path to Business Ownership: Evidence from EPOP:2023

The EPOP Survey Project released a second year of data, collected in 2023, on entrepreneurship in the U.S. Now two years of EPOP public use data are available for understanding business ownership, freelancing, gig work, and related employment activities. Besides comparing 2022 and 2023 results, NORC’s latest research brief “Entrepreneurial Background and the Path to Business Ownership: Evidence from EPOP:2023” examines serial entrepreneurship—owning multiple businesses either previously or simultaneously. This research presents intriguing findings on pathways to entrepreneurial success, particularly among those with prior business ownership experience.

Learn More November 30, 2023

Optimizing Address-based Sample Outreach: Findings from a Late-Stage Contacting Experiment

Katie Johnson, Research Methodologist at NORC, presented on an EPOP:2023 data collection methods experiment at the 2023 Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research (MAPOR) Conference. The controlled experiment compared the impact of sending a text message versus a USPS postcard to the control treatment in increasing survey response.

Learn More November 17, 2023

Prosperity Now Uses EPOP Data to Learn about Entrepreneurs of Color

Prosperity Now has been a persistent voice championing economic opportunity to build power for all communities and advance racial and ethnic economic justice. Leveraging EPOP Survey data, Prosperity Now analyzed the unique experiences of entrepreneurs of color. Their October 2023 report “From Start to Exit: Insights and Implications from Former Entrepreneurs of Color” focuses on former business owners of color and the challenges they face. Their November 2023 report “Employee Benefits Offered by Entrepreneurs of Color” investigates the degree to which diverse business owners offer health insurance and other benefits to their employees.

Learn More October 2023

A Profile on U.S. Business Owners: Examining Trends by Gender and Racial Identities

A NORC research brief “A Profile on U.S. Business Owners: Examining Trends by Gender and Racial Identities” highlights the rising diversity in this population. Based on EPOP:2022 Survey data, this report shows greater levels of diversity among business owners who opened their businesses in recent years. Non-Hispanic Black women and Hispanic individuals (men and women) are becoming business owners at significantly higher rates than in the past (since 2020). Furthermore, EPOP data indicates that the number of non-Hispanic Black female business owners will continue to grow.

Learn More August 15, 2023

Characteristics of Gig Workers in the US: Evidence from the EPOP Survey

Quentin Brummet, EPOP Principal Investigator, gave this presentation to the Outsourcing Research Network Workshop at the Harris School, University of Chicago.

Learn More June 16, 2023

EPOP in Indiana: Reports and Data

NORC conducted the Entrepreneurship in the Population: Indiana (EPOP-IN) project on behalf of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). The project included both quantitative and qualitative data collection. EPOP-IN produced these reports and data:

EPOP-IN Release Research Brief
This brief provides a profile of entrepreneurship activities in Indiana. Also, the brief focuses on major challenges facing current and former entrepreneurs and those planning to start a business in Indiana.
EPOP-IN Summary Findings Report
This comprehensive report describes the survey methodology, key findings on a wide range of measures, and provides detailed data tables by survey item.
EPOP-IN Qualitative Research Report
This report presents the qualitative findings from a series of focus groups and stakeholder interviews with Indiana entrepreneurs.
EPOP-IN Methodology Report
This report describes the quantitative and qualitative data collection methods including the survey sample design, survey instrument, data collection process, data processing, and other research methods implemented.
EPOP-IN PUF Data and Documentation
Public use files (PUFs) of the survey data and data user documentation (including the questionnaire, a codebook, and data user guide) are available in this download.

Learn More June 8, 2023

APPAM 2022 Workshop: Understanding and Using the Entrepreneurship Survey Data

Learn More November 16, 2022

Data Dive Webinar on EPOP 2022 Findings

On 10/27/22 the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation hosted a webinar “Data Dive: Year 1 Findings from the NORC Entrepreneurship in the Population Survey.”

The webinar focused on the EPOP Survey data release and initial findings from this new nationally representative survey. NORC experts discussed entrepreneurship measures useful to both researchers and policymakers. The Data Dive launched the conversation on using EPOP Survey data to gain a deeper understanding of the complex entrepreneurial pathways at national, state, and local levels.

Learn More October 27, 2022

Understanding the American Entrepreneurship Landscape: A New Resource, Brummet, Q. and Johnson, K., 2022

Learn More October 19, 2022

FEATURED PUBLICATION

EPOP:2026 -- A New Longitudinal Resource for Entrepreneurial Research

The EPOP Survey Project is pleased to release its fifth wave of data. EPOP:2026 adds a new longitudinal component, connecting participants surveyed in 2024 or 2025 with their experiences in 2026. The new design opens opportunities for researchers and policymakers to explore how people move into, out of, and across different forms of entrepreneurship.

Learn More October 23, 2026

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