The true diversity of self-employment: Executive summary

Uncovering the different segments of the UK's self-employed workforce

This executive summary distils the findings of research conducted by IES in conjunction with the Centre for Research on Self-Employment, offering analysis of the solo self-employed workforce.

The research sheds light on the diverse nature of the solo self-employed workforce, identifying nine distinct segments. The solo self-employed workforce includes those who do not employ other people and therefore work on their own account, and makes up 84 per cent of the self-employed workforce.

The executive summary contains a brief account of each of these nine segments, offering the characteristics (eg types of roles and employment conditions) found in each segment. In identifying these segments, portraying the diverse nature of the solo self-employed workforce, the research offers valuable insights for policymakers, the media and the wider public, with the self-employed workforce having received large amounts of media and policy scrutiny in recent times.

The analysis found that the majority of the solo self-employed workforce experience high levels of independence, security and job satisfaction. Indeed, eight out of the nine segments of the solo self-employed, identified in the research, were as satisfied, or more satisfied, than employees doing similar jobs.

Read a brief summary of the research

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