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Characterisation of self-employment in Spain from a European perspective

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  • Pilar García Perea
  • Concepción Román

Abstract

In Spain, self-employment currently accounts for 16% of those employed, a proportion slightly higher than the EU average. Compared with the prevailing structure among employees, it is males, the over-50s, those with a low level of educational attainment and those employed in traditional sectors such as agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, transport and accommodation who are over-represented in this group. Relative to selfemployed workers in the EU, self-employment in Spain accounts for a smaller proportion of the total in the liberal professions in services, generally associated with a higher level of skill. In Spain, the incidence of self-employment economically dependent on a single client is relatively moderate compared with other European countries; but the high incidence of the self-employed who choose to work as such out of necessity, given the lack of alternatives, is notable. Lastly, in all euro area countries, households with a selfemployed family head are seen to be wealthier than those with a wage-earning family head, and Spain is in an intermediate position.

Suggested Citation

  • Pilar García Perea & Concepción Román, 2019. "Characterisation of self-employment in Spain from a European perspective," Economic Bulletin, Banco de España, issue JUN.
  • Handle: RePEc:bde:journl:y:2019:i:6:d:aa:n:20
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-employment; sole proprietor; employer;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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