The Dynamics of Self-Employment in Australia and the Role of the Solo Self-Employed

Abstract

A common belief held by policymakers is that the self-employed are a vital element of well-functioning economies. They promote economic growth, technological innovation and job creation. Yet, descriptive evidence across multiple industrialised economies concludes that relatively few self-employed workers create any jobs. Most self-employed workers do not hire any employees and are known as the solo self-employed. Not much is established about the role the solo self-employed have in job creation: Do they act as a more flexible form of employment and/or is solo self-employment a stepping-stone to job creation as an employer? This thesis aims to investigate the dynamics of self-employment in Au..