State and MSA-Level Entrepreneurship Indices 2002–2019

Harvard Dataverse hosts measures of productive, unproductive, and net productive entrepreneurship for metropolitan statistical areas annually. The dataset, created by Gary Wagner, covers the period from 2002 to 2019. The accompanying academic paper details the variable construction methodology.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in net productive entrepreneurship across MSAs from 2002 to 2019 to identify regional economic shifts.
• Compare levels of productive versus unproductive entrepreneurship by MSA to assess business climate quality.
• Model the relationship between MSA-level entrepreneurship indices and other regional economic indicators.
• Track annual changes in the entrepreneurship indices to evaluate policy impacts over an 18-year period.

Strengths

• Annual data provides an 18-year time series from 2002 to 2019 for longitudinal analysis.
• Covers metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), offering granular geographic coverage for U.S. regions.
• Includes distinct measures for productive, unproductive, and net productive entrepreneurship, enabling multifaceted analysis.
• Methodology is documented in a peer-reviewed academic paper, ensuring transparency in variable construction.

Limitations

• The dataset ends in 2019, lacking recent years for contemporary economic analysis.
• Specific sample size, column details, and file formats are not provided, limiting immediate assessment of structure.
• Focus is exclusively on U.S. MSAs and states, limiting international or sub-MSA applicability.

Provenance

Source

Harvard Dataverse

Collection Method

Constructed indices as detailed in the accompanying academic paper 'Net Productive Entrepreneurship: State and MSA-Level Indices, 2002—2019'.

Time Range

2002 to 2019

Freshness

Last updated on the platform in January 2026, but the underlying data covers up to 2019.

Geography

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and states within the United States.