Zelfstandig ondernemerschap in Nederland: determinanten van de instroom en de uitstroom [Self-employment in the Netherlands: determinants of entry and exit]

Abstract

Contains fulltext : 64384.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)In this article we investigate (a) recent developments in Dutch self-employment rates and (b) individual determinants of entry into self-employment and exit from self-employment. Labor market surveys show that in the Netherlands the proportion of self-employed men and women has increased strongly between 1985 and 1997, especially in the service and construction sectors. The growth in self-employment is especially large among unskilled and professional workers. We distinguish between four sets of individual determinants of entry and exit: (1) human capital, (2) social resources, (3) the business cycle, and (4) personality. Event history analyses, based on life-history data (Family Surveys Dutch Population 1992 and 1998) show that all four determinants affect entry into self-employment but hardly affect exit from self-employment. We conclude that in the Netherlands the choice for self-employment is based on occupational skills, experience, social resources, and creativity, and that self-employment is not an escape for those without opportunities on the regular labor market.23 p