Self-employment has become more common and diverse in recent decades as part of the structural change in working life. Digitalization, the growth of the platform economy, and the spread of invoicing services and other new operating models have increased the number of forms of work that fall between paid employment and entrepreneurship. In Finland, self-employed people form a heterogeneous group, including sole proprietors, light entrepreneurs, freelancers, grant recipients, and those working through platforms.
However, there is very little up-to-date and comprehensive research information available on the significance of the phenomenon, its forms of operation, and development paths.
This research project produces research information on the self-employed as a group in Finland based on various statistical data. The project’s central aim is to identify the challenges and bottlenecks related to becoming self-employed on the one hand, and to the growth of sole proprietors on the other.
Etla is implementing the project in collaboration with the Department of Economics of the Turku School of Economics and the University of Turku.
