Self-employed Workers Research Articles

Labor income gap by gender in the Dominican Republic: An analysis of its evolution in the period 2000–2021

The labor income gap between men and women in Latin America remains a barrier to achieving gender equality and sustainable development. In the Dominican Republic, this gap is particularly prevalent in the informal sector, among self employed workers, and in regions with higher female labor participation. Despite women often having a better job profile than men, the gap persists, pointing to the presence of gender biases. This paper aims to analyze the gender-based labor income gap in the Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2021, using data from the National Labor Force Surveys conducted by the National Statistics Office (ONE) and harmonized by the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB). Two models are employed for this analysis: the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition and the Ñopo decomposition. The primary contribution of this paper lies in its long-term analysis of the gap, which provides insight into how it has evolved over time. The findings reveal a significant and statistically substantial labor income gap that cannot be explained by factors such as work experience or economic sector, suggesting that the causes are likely normative or discriminatory. The gap is most pronounced in the informal sector, among self-employed workers, and in regions with higher female labor participation. Although the analysis spans two decades, no clear trend of increase or decrease in the gap was observed. However, the unexplained portion of the gap has widened considerably, indicating a need for further investigation to understand and address this disparity.

Property Rights Restrictions and Self-Employed Workers: Evidence From For-Hire Owner–Operators in U.S. Trucking

In 2019, self-employed individuals in the United States owned and operated more than 27 million nonemployer firms and generated more than $1.3 trillion in revenue. Our study examines how self-employed workers adjust their operations in response to an exogenous regulatory change that places limits on how they can utilize their productive assets. Extending modern property rights theory of the firm (PRTF), we studied how self-employed for-hire truck drivers modified their operations in response to the required installation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. The introduction of ELDs bolstered enforcement of preexisting legal hours-of-service limits, thereby weakening the drivers’ ability to accept hauls above statutory hours-of-service limits and reducing the strength of their economic property rights. Our difference-in-differences analysis that relies on self-employed truck drivers exempt from the ELD regulation as a control group reveals that the restrictions imposed by the ELD mandate, while effective at curbing major hours-of-service violations, prompted a change in a host of market behaviors among affected drivers, including a shift toward working as subcontractors, decreased labor supply, and increased exit rates from the industry. These findings contribute to the literature on PRTF. First, our findings underscore the significance of economic property rights in shaping self-employed workers’ operating decisions as legal property rights were largely left unchanged under the ELD regulation. Second, our findings with respect to subcontracting highlight that property rights restrictions placed on asset attributes may prompt self-employed workers to unbundle economic property rights and allocate them to exchange partners better equipped to maximize the economic value reaped from these rights. Such transfer of economic property rights common to intermediate forms of organizational design such as subcontracting embodies a multidimensional view of economic property rights. By demonstrating a range of consequences of restricting self-employed workers’ economic property rights, our study carries important implications for theory, managers, and policymakers.

Respect for Constitutional Rights of Individuals in Platform Economy

The paper dwells on the issue of respect for labor and social rights of individuals enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation in sectors of the economy that are partially or completely switching to activities in an economic model based on the use of digital platforms (platform economy). The strengths and weaknesses of this method of organizing activities for workers employed in the industries under consideration are elucidated in the context of both labor and civil law relations, including workers having the status of self-employed workers. The main possible reasons for the transition of economic entities to activities within the framework of the platform economy, including with a change in the nature of legal relations, are justified through a set of objective (economic and social) and subjective (related to the education, abilities and motivation of a potential employee) reasons. Avito.ru Internet platform is monitored to find job vacancies, within which ensuring the proper implementation of сonstitutional rights of citizens is possible exclusively within the framework of labor legal relations. The analysis of the conditions of employment offered by actual employers reveals typical potential and actual violations of human rights in relation to both an employee and third parties. Based on the results of the analysis of practice, the author offers a number of measures aimed at eliminating the identified prerequisites for violating the constitutional rights of citizens. In particular, the ban on attracting persons as self-employed to perform work or provide services that pose a threat of violation of their rights or the rights of third parties in the event of this activity outside the framework of labor legal relations, as well as the possibility of recognizing civil law relations between the actual employer and an individual in the status of self-employed actual labor relations.

The perception of meaningful work by employed and self-employed workers in the sphere of education

The collection of studies on meaningful work is still quite fragmented and lacks resumptive theoretical models that can be applied to various employment statuses. This article examines the meaningful work phenomenon for both employed and self-employed workers using qualitative data. Drawing on 16 in-depth semi-structured interviews with school teachers and self-employed private tutors in Russia, the analysis demonstrates the nature of meaningful work constructed by employment status. Different institutional frameworks form institutional legitimacy, professional community, the final product of work and the prestige of occupation. The article’s primary theoretical contribution is the development of a theoretical model that describes the multifaceted and impermanent nature of meaningful work. The practical implications include the revelation of prominent differences among workers having different employment statuses, which is a solid foundation for future attempts in conducting quantitative research.

Collective Bargaining for the 'New' Working Class: Putting Personal Work Relations to Work for Street Vendors

Abstract Robert Hale’s famous proposition is that the propertyless man needs to eat and in order to eat, he exchanges his labour for access to property. Indeed, labour law is constituted by these property relations. Historically, most of the workforce (in the global North) has accessed property for livelihood purposes through an employment contract. However, in developing countries, most of the workforce is structurally unable to access property for livelihood purposes by means of an employment contract. These worker-citizens nevertheless need access to property to eat; street vendors need access to public space to trade. The question is whether the scope of labour law, particularly the institution of collective bargaining, can expand to include informal self-employed workers? The article discusses the capability, regulatory, human rights and personal work relations theories; it shows that Freedland and Kountouris’ theory of ‘labour law as personal work relations’ could incorporate informal self-employed workers and illustrates how it might be operationalized to realise collective bargaining laws for street vendors. Informal self-employed workers challenge labour law to examine its assumptions of how property relations are constituted; and to re-theorise property relations to account for workers accessing property by means of an employment contract as well as accessing property based on worker-citizens making rights-based claims.

A Policy Proposal to Strengthen the Income Redistribution Function of the National Pension Scheme in South Korea: An Analysis of South Korea’s 5th National Pension Comprehensive Plan (Draft)

In this study, we elucidate the income redistribution effects of the proposal to incorporate the Bend Points mechanism of the U.S. OASDI into the Korean National Pension Scheme (BP-KNPS Proposal) through a micro-simulation analysis using individual data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS). In addition to examining the effects of introducing the BP-KNPS Proposal into the current National Pension Scheme (NPS), we also consider the impact of this scheme being combined with the 5th National Pension Comprehensive Plan (Draft), announced by Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare on 30 October 2023. When the BP-KNPS Proposal is introduced into the current NPS, the Mean Log Deviation (MLD) of the net transfer amount (lifetime pension benefits minus lifetime pension contributions) for regular employees decreases from 0.2022863 to 0.1929960. Similarly, the MLD for self-employed and irregular workers decreases from 0.2046127 to 0.1721433, indicating a reduction in income inequality. Furthermore, when the BP-KNPS Proposal is combined with the 5th National Pension Comprehensive Plan (Draft), the effects are mixed. The proposals to increase the pension contribution rate and adjust the rate increase speed via generation lead to a reduction in income inequality compared to the current NPS when combined with the BP-KNPS Proposal. However, the proposals to raise the pensionable age result in increased income inequality, similar to the outcomes under the current system. This finding suggests that the triple burden identified by literature review—the reduction in benefits due to disparities in contribution periods and life expectancy, and the raised pensionable age—has a greater impact on low-income participants than the inequality-reducing effects of the BP-KNPS Proposal.

Assessment of the length of sick leave in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

IntroductionInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder that can lead to periods of work-related temporary disability (TD), which may result in the need for permanent disability. The objective was to assess the impact of IBD on patients' temporary disability by analyzing periods, duration, and causes. It also investigates risk factors influencing the severity, frequency, and duration of flare-ups and associated complications in IBD patients. MethodThe study includes patients aged 18–65, with at least 1 day of TD in 2019 (Pre-COVID), referred or not by UMEVI, due to reasons related to IBD. ResultsA total of 172 patients were included, and in all cases, TD was associated with IBD. TD was higher in patients over 30 years old, with anxious depressive disorder, who required hospitalization and did not receive prednisone treatment (p < 0.05). TD duration was longer in patients belonging to the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA): 67 days (IQR: 22–160) versus the General Regime (RG): 33 days (IQR: 8–110), with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.120). The mean cost (€) per worker in this series was €745.5 (IQR: 231–2608.2). ConclusionsIBD has a significant impact on patients' temporary work disability. The duration of TD was longer in patients older than 30 years, with anxious-depressive disorder, who required hospital admission and did not receive steroid treatment.

Rural depopulation in Kazakhstan: mechanisms of regulation

The aim is to analyze depopulation trends in rural regions of Kazakhstan, including Kostanay region, and to propose mechanisms for their optimization. Methods - comparative analysis and dynamic methods were used to identify the main causes and annual decline in population in rural areas. Empirical methods were used to determine the factors of rural population reduction, as well as the formation of a system of complex regulation of demographic and social problems. The assessment of socio-economic indicators of the oblast was carried out on the basis of the evaluation approach. Results - the authors note that despite a number of existing documents on the development of rural areas of the country, since 2009 depopulation of the rural population of the country persists. In 2024 compared to 2008 the quantitative composition decreased by 9.1%. It is most characteristic for Kostanay region. In order to more deeply study the depopulation orientation in this region a comparative analysis of social parameters of 4 densely populated and 4 least densely populated areas, including data for the period from 2010 to 2023 was carried out. Conclusions - labor market indicators of Kazakhstan and Kostanay region are somewhat lower compared to urban indicators. In 2023, the labor force participation rate was observed to be higher in rural areas compared to urban areas, but the employment rate was significantly lower. Self-employed workers are 16% more in rural areas and 9% more in the oblast. The low size of income and its stable sources led to the outflow of economically active groups from villages to large cities. In order to comprehensively regulate these processes in rural areas, it is advisable to create an effective mechanism of social responsibility of business (SRB), which will reduce budget expenditures of the state.

Unemployment insurance for the self-employed: A conceptual way forward

In this contribution we give common guidelines on how unemployment schemes for the self-employed could be developed in practice. These guidelines have been derived from national descriptions contained in this special edition on unemployment protection for the self-employed, or in other recent comparative contributions on the matter. Our reference framework is the EU Council Recommendation (2019) on Access to Social Protection, and more in particular the overall objective that social protection should be designed in a labour status neutral manner and, where necessary, adapted to the specific work situation of the professional groups covered. Applied to unemployment, the design of the scheme should be as similar as possible to that of unemployment insurance for wage earners. However, it is crucial to adapt the rules as specifically as necessary to the nature of self-employed work, such as, for example, the fact that the self-employed do not work for an employer. Starting from this basis, we developed key rules with regard to unemployment schemes for the self-employed. We did so by addressing the essential components of unemployment schemes: the definition of the unemployment risk, financing, access and entitlement conditions, and re-eligibility in case of repeated claims for unemployment benefits. We also address recent evolutions in the labour market, such as coverage when multiple activities are performed (combining activities as an employee and as a self-employed person), and elaborate on situations involving temporary closure of the self-employed activity (e.g. due to Covid-19) and partial unemployment. In conclusion, we provide some reflections on the apparent ongoing evolution of the risk of unemployment towards a broader income protection scheme, which not only provides income replacement in case of a final loss of professional activity or self-employed business, but also gives structural income support if the person loses income partially due to external economic and/or social reasons.

Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation

Abstract The social protection of platform workers is considered one of the most precarious features and political challenges of this new form of employment. Still, there have only been a few empirical investigations on this issue to date. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany – a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalised social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, we examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalised protection against sickness and old age. We empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences. Findings reveal that conditions of platform work and social protection as well as demands and regulatory preferences vary notably across different clusters of platform workers. Still, the vast majority votes against obligatory social insurances for platform workers and favours self-employment over dependent employment. Against this background, we discuss challenges for future attempts aiming at improving social protection for platform workers. This study adds to the literature by empirically exploring platform workers’ social protection and social policy preferences, which have been overlooked to date.

Teleworking and Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Review on Health Effects and Preventive Measures

Background: In the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown and social distancing policies, a new form of work, already existing in the past, has been further enlarged. Teleworking is “full- or part-time electronic work, on-line or off-line, performed at home by self-employed or office workers” and today represents an important lever for companies, including for sustainability, allowing employees to work flexibly, efficiently and remotely. The relationship between telework and sustainability in economic, social, and environmental aspects is also being questioned. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the effects this has had on workers’ mental health. Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed. The research was performed on Pubmed and Scopus without restrictions on study type and time limits. The methodological quality of the studies included was assessed using AMSTAR-2, INSA and NOS scales. A meta-analysis of the main adverse effects found in observational studies was also carried out. Results: A total of 38 articles were included in the systematic review. A large proportion of the studies examined showed a correlation between teleworking and worsening mental health. The meta-analysis showed increased levels of mental ill-health (38.8%), stress (28.4%), isolation (6.3%), anxiety (23%), depression (22.6%), work–family conflicts (19.5%), poor sleep quality (56.4%), fatigue (16.1%) and irritability (39.6%). Conclusions: Although most of the works analyzed show a deterioration in the mental health of workers, positive effects were noted in some. There is the need for more studies to optimally investigate the cause–effect relationship between teleworking and mental health deterioration.

Inequality in Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk Among Young, Low-Income, Self-Employed Workers: Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study.

Self-employment is a significant component of South Korea's labor force; yet, it remains relatively understudied in the context of occupational safety and health. Owing to different guidelines for health checkup participation among economically active individuals, disparities in health maintenance may occur across varying employment statuses. This study aims to address such disparities by comparing the risk of all-cause mortality and comorbidities between the self-employed and employee populations in South Korea, using nationwide data. We sought to provide insights relevant to other countries with similar cultural, social, and economic contexts. This nationwide retrospective study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Participants (aged 20-59 y) who maintained the same insurance type (self-employed or employee insurance) for ≥3 years (at least 2008-2010) were recruited for this study and monitored until death or December 2021-whichever occurred first. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, cancer, and hospitalization with a mental illness. Age-standardized cumulative incidence rates were estimated through an indirect method involving 5-unit age standardization. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI for each sex stratum. Subgroup analyses and an analysis of the effect modification of health checkup participation were also performed. A total of 11,652,716 participants were analyzed (follow-up: median 10.92, IQR 10.92-10.92 y; age: median 42, IQR 35-50 y; male: n=7,975,116, 68.44%); all-cause mortality occurred in 1.27% (99,542/7,851,282) of employees and 3.29% (124,963/3,801,434) of self-employed individuals (P<.001). The 10-year cumulative incidence rates of all-cause mortality differed significantly by employment status (1.1% for employees and 2.8% for self-employed individuals; P<.001). The risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher among the self-employed individuals when compared with that among employees, especially among female individuals, according to the final model (male: adjusted HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.42-1.45; female: adjusted HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.84-1.94; P<.001). The risk of the secondary outcomes, except all types of malignancies, was significantly higher among the self-employed individuals (all P values were <.001). According to subgroup analyses, this association was prominent in younger individuals with lower incomes who formed a part of the nonparticipation groups. Furthermore, health checkup participation acted as an effect modifier for the association between employment status and all-cause mortality in both sexes (male: relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI] 0.76, 95% CI 0.74-0.79; female: RERI 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.21). This study revealed that self-employed individuals face higher risks of all-cause mortality, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, and mental illnesses when compared to employees. The mortality risk is particularly elevated in younger, lower-income individuals who do not engage in health checkups, with health checkup nonparticipation acting as an effect modifier for this association.

The effect of financial skills and strategies toward saving behavior among self-employed workers in retirement planning

This paper aimed to investigate essential factors of financial skills and financial strategies that influence retirement savings behavior among self-employed workers. Many retirement savings schemes are being introduced by regulatory bodies or financial institutions, especially for self-employed workers on a voluntary basis, but many people's efforts to save for retirement are stalled. However, the participation of self-employed workers in those schemes is still low as people have financial instability or lack of knowledge in matters. The quantitative approach is applied by distributing a systematic random sampling of 400 prospective respondents. The outcome was analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicates that savings behavior financial skill, financial strategies, and demographics positively moderated relationship. This study adds to the existing knowledge on financial skills as well as financial strategies towards saving objectives for self-employed, with practical implications for promoting positive saving habits and improving financial well-being across all age groups. Policymakers might use the data to create targeted programs that specifically target self-employed workers and promote responsible saving and financial security across generations. The authorities should construct a comprehensive fixed retirement scheme for self-employed workers based on these characteristics so that self-employed workers have secure and stable financial security after retirement.

Well-being effects of the digital platform economy: the case of temporary and self-employment

The surge in non-traditional employment, including self-employment and temporary jobs, driven by the digital platform economy (commonly known as the gig economy), has thrust this form of work into the centre of social and political discussions. Among the European Union countries, Spain stands out with the highest volume of digital platform work. To explore the well-being effects of various gig economy employment arrangements, this study utilizes microdata from the Spanish Living Conditions Survey for 2018 and Google Trends data related to platforms like Deliveroo, Airbnb, Just Eat, Uber, and Freelance as a proxy for digital platform economy demand. Employing an econometric approach based on instrumental variables, the study reveals that the most detrimental well-being effects are observed among self-employed workers. Specifically, in terms of self-reported health, self-employed individuals (own-account workers) exhibit 125.8% lower average health levels compared to permanent workers. These findings suggest that the heightened job insecurity and precariousness associated with self-employment outweigh the potential benefits arising from greater flexibility and autonomy in this type of work.

Promotion of Self-employment: Manager Justifications for Online Labor Platform Operations

The emergence of online labor platforms (OLPs) has raised concerns about the treatment of platform workers and the legality of OLPs’ contractual relations and control. This study examines how managers (CEOs/founders) justify OLPs’ contractual relations and market control within the frames of critical platform work discussions and the Finnish labor market model. By using justification theory and market control classification as analytical tools, this qualitative study reveals that managers justify OLPs’ control and contractual relations by referring to critical discussions and features of Finnish labor market model. In justifications, managers either adopt the normative features of the model or criticize the societal neglect of self-employed workers. The model’s emphasis on full-time employment and legal questions around the platform economy seems to challenge the legitimacy of all OLP companies on some level. Despite OLPs’ operational differences, all managers justify OLPs with the idea of promoting self-employment within the Finnishlabor market.

Comparison of blood lead levels between battery recycling workers and controls in Northern Nigeria

ABSTRACT About 80% of the global lead production is consumed by the battery industry. As old batteries are increasingly being recycled without adequate recourse to safety and protection in many developing countries, there is well-documented evidence of lead poisoning among the workers. This study compared blood lead levels (BLL) of battery recycling workers (BRW) with controls in Northern Nigeria. This cross-sectional study assessed the BLL of BRW (self-employed informal workers, n = 98) and controls (healthcare workers, n = 98). Respondents were selected using systematic random sampling from the lists of BRW and healthcare workers. All respondents in the two groups were males, matched for age (27.81 ± 7.2, 27.67 ± 7.0 years; p = 0.890). The mean BLL was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among the BRW compared to the controls (40.17 ± 4.2 and 3.61 ± 0.4 µg/dL, respectively), with 78.1% of the BRW having elevated BLL (≥20.0 µg/dL) and none (0.0%) of the controls having elevated BLL. Logistic regression shows none of the variables was an independent predictor of BLL in this study, implying battery reclamation as the main source of lead. Federal and state government policies should ban informal battery recycling and emphasize on plants through national collection system to consolidate used batteries only to smelters that meet minimum regulatory requirements.

Casualization of work, free riding and institutional distrust: Explaining social protection preferences of platform workers in Germany

Abstract The social protection of platform workers is widely recognized as a major political challenge but remains vastly understudied. The few existing investigations focus on social protection coverage and the employment status of platform workers, while their social protection preferences remain a black box to date. In this article, we investigate the social protection preferences of platform workers using a mixed methods design based on an online survey (n = 719) and qualitative in-depth interviews (n = 20) with self-employed platform workers in Germany. While the quantitative data indicate that the vast majority of respondents reject compulsory social insurance contributions for platform workers and favour self-employment over dependent employment, the qualitative interviews reveal three main types of explanations for this regulation aversion in different segments of platform work: The casualization of work in the platform economy, free riding on protection derived from ‘regular’ employment and distrust in established welfare state institutions. Against this background, we discuss challenges for social policies aiming at improving social protection for platform workers.

Collaborative activities and flexible working

Digitalization and globalization have radically affected work organization and interaction between workers in the course of performing job duties. Co-creation activity on digital labour platforms is a new phenomenon that has been little studied. The paper aims to explore collaboration as a driving force in the evolution of work organization patterns and investigates its main effects on the labour market. Theory of cooperation and organizational theory constitute the methodological basis of the study. The research methods used are evolutionary analysis, statistical and regression analysis. The empirical evidence is comprised of open data from the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 10 (2020/23). The study identifies the directions for altering the forms of collaborative activities: the key ones are associated with the enhancement of individual value, accumulation of human capital and a rise in worker autonomy. It is shown that organization of work, which is also undergoing significant changes, promotes flexible working practices. The empirical analysis indicates that high-frequency Internet use among self-employed workers significantly increases the probability of engaging in co-creation activities, particularly as education levels rise. The growing intrinsic motivation of participants to such activities leads to higher labour productivity. The findings highlight a critical issue regarding the lack of human resource management practices in platform employment. Designing a new (flexible) model of work organization aligned with the characteristics and effects of co-creation activities can serve as a promising direction for further research.

COVID-19 and Household Wealth Heterogeneity: Evidence from South Korea

Although several studies highlighted the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on household income, its effect on household wealth has been largely disregarded. This study investigated household wealth heterogeneity in Korea using unconditional quantile regression in 2020-2021. These findings indicate that self-employed workers maintained their net assets through targeted fiscal support. However, low-educated workers, poor households, and old households suffered economic damage. Second,unemployed people experienced severe decreases in net wealth due to the pandemic. Lastly, home-owning households in the capital region earned more assets because of asset market booms. Therefore, it suggests inclusive fiscal support to alleviate wealth disparities.

Gambaran Self Efficacay pada Penderita Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2 di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Banyuanyar

Diabetes Mellitus sufferers continue to increase. The percentage of patients with type 2 DM in Surakarta city is 24%, this figure exceeds the national target of 20%, with the number of patients in Surakarta as many as 18,833 cases, in Banyuanyar Health Center as many as 2,404. Type 2 DM disease that is not properly managed will lead to complications. Efforts that can be made to prevent these complications by increasing self efficacy in its management.Objective; Knowing the description of self efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method; The type of research used is descriptive research, with a total of 86 respondents using purposive sampling technique. The research instrument used the Diabetes Management Self Efficacy Scale (DMSES).Results; From the results of the study, the majority of respondents' characteristics were based on age 40-64 years (74.4%), female gender (65.1%), high school education level (37.2%), self-employed work (43.0%), long suffering from DM ≥5 years (57.0%) and sufficient self efficacy category (41.9%). Conclusion; Self efficacy of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Banyuanyar Health Center working area is in the moderate category