The Contribution of the Self-Employed to Employment in the EU

The UK self-employment rate is similar to that in Austria,France, Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland, and is in the mid-rangefor the EU.• In total, the self-employed in the UK employ a further 2.6 millionpeople.• The UK is one of only six EU countries in which males have a higherprobability of self-employment (holding factors such as age,education, occupation and industry sector constant).• The norm in the EU is for individuals with high human capital tobecome self-employed. This is not true in the UK where selfemploymentis most prevalent in craft related occupations. This isimportant as increasing levels of education are associated withhigher employment levels in self-employed businesses.[...]