Overview

Abstract (English)

We add to the research literature on borrower discouragement by finding, after_x000D_
accounting for creditworthiness, the incidence of borrower discouragement in the_x000D_
Canadian setting. Our calculations show veery low rates of properly-defined_x000D_
borrower discouragement—so few cases – even among tens of thousands of SME_x000D_
histories – that we cannot statistically determine gender differences among owners._x000D_
In part this is because we also distinguish among male owned female owned, and_x000D_
mixed ownership firms ands virtually all previous studies do not make this distinction_x000D_
. We also observe that the incidence of border discouragement is small within each_x000D_
iteration of the survey: 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. As such we conclude that the_x000D_
frequency of borrower discouragement in the Canadian setting is very low, a result_x000D_
consistent with an efficient SME lending market. We also find that gender_x000D_
differences are not statistically identifiable, even among large numbers of SMEs.

Abstract (French)

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