Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/228453 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 744
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
Self-employment contributes to employment growth and innovativeness and many individuals want to become self-employed due to the autonomy and exibility it brings. Using "subjective well-being" as a broad summary measure that evaluates an individual's experience of being self-employed, the chapter discusses evidence and explanations why self-employment is positively associated with job satisfaction, even though the self-employed often earn less than their employed peers, work longer hours and experience more stress and higher job demands. Despite being more satisfied with their jobs, the self-employed do not necessarily enjoy higher overall life satisfaction, which is due to heterogeneity of types of self-employment, as well as motivational factors, work characteristics and institutional setups across countries.
Subjects: 
self-employment
entrepreneurship
subjective well-being
job satisfaction
life satisfaction
JEL: 
L26
J24
J28
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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