In this project, I explored how extended lockdowns influenced entrepreneurial activity during the pandemic. Using monthly data from January 2008 to November 2020, I constructed a comprehensive panel dataset combining business application statistics and COVID-19 case data. I employed Stata to clean, visualize, and analyze the data through histograms, box plots, and summary statistics to uncover key trends.

The study revealed that while business applications initially dropped after lockdowns, prolonged restrictions (3+ months) led to a 3.07% decrease in startup growth.

This project sharpened my skills in data cleaning, visualization, and causal analysis, showcasing my ability to balance theoretical insights with real-world data-driven conclusions.