Feel like lack of awareness if overestimated as an explanation for why so few coops exist.
The US has less worker coops than Finland, even though US has 60x more population. I bet there is at least 10x more people in the US aware of worker coops.
Just looking at the huge variation in coop creation rates between areas, doubt lack of awareness is a key factor here.
Of course, its a problem and no one is saying that its everything. BUT it seems to be most cited reason by coop enthusiasts.
I appreciate your skepticism on 'lack of awareness' as being the best explanation for why so few coops exist.
I hypothesize one particular reason, at least within the USA:
Economic prostration of the people interested in worker coop development. Health care dependent on regular jobs, and most folks lack even the very basic quantities of capital (or ability to generate it) to start entrepreneurial experiments. All of this, prior to the Covid public health failure.
@Marc I agree with this. It's very scary to start any endeavor in the USA with insufficient funding. Even with regular jobs, we are often way to close to becoming destitute. @LeoSammallahti
