OECD – The Job Quality of Self-Employment in Europe, 2025

The document analyzes changes in the job quality of self-employed individuals in European Union countries from 1995 to 2021, using data from the European Working Conditions and Living Survey.

Key findings include that self-employed individuals generally have slightly worse working conditions compared to employees. Self-employed individuals without employees face worse conditions than those with employees. The social environment and work autonomy for the self-employed have improved, while health and safety conditions have worsened, and time pressure has increased. Differences in job quality between self-employed and employees have narrowed in some aspects, but differences in job security and financial well-being have increased. There is a correlation between the quality of the entrepreneurial environment and the quality of self-employment, suggesting the potential for improving self-employment quality through entrepreneurship policies.