The solo self-employed person and intrinsic financial security: does the promotion of self-employment institutionalise dualisation?

Abstract

Self-employment has been promoted as a path to gainful employment in Finland and elsewhere. But recently there has been increasing concern in Finland about the position of those who are self-employed, particularly the solo self-employed, who are often insecure, especially in terms of their financial situation. This study discusses the dualisation of labour markets and the intrinsic dimension of financial security among those who are solo self-employed. Using survey data on solo self-employment in Finland, the study finds that financial insecurity is particularly experienced by solo self-employed people who start a business because of a lack of other employment opportunities.