WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2002 - Interest by would-be entrepreneurs to start new businesses declined last year as the economic recession and lingering effects of the dot.com crash dampened enthusiasm for launching risky new ventures. The trend is expected to continue for the near term with a strong rebound later in the year, according to the "Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2001 National Entrepreneurship Assessment for the United States of America," conducted by Babson College and the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Results of the study were announced today at a luncheon meeting of the Congressional Economic Leadership Institute, hosted...