The changing structure of male self‐employment in Switzerland

Purpose - The increase in self‐employment is probably one of the most important change that occurred on the Swiss labour market in the past 20 years. Using newly available census data from 1970 to 2000, seeks to investigate this evolution for the male labour force. Design/methodology/approach - This research is based on census data from 1970 to 2000. Analysis is carried out by means of probability analysis (probit and logit model) and segregation analysis. Findings - Finds that the evolution of the self‐employment rate is driven by changing factors of self‐employment as well as by a changing labour force. However, differences between self‐employed and wage‐workers have become smaller over time. This is especially relevant with respect to occupations. Regarding gender differences, the higher rate of self‐employed among men than among women is due to different factors rather than different characteristics of the labour force. Finally, investigates the structure of self‐employment in 2000. Finds that the distinction between various forms of self‐employment is quite relevant, a result that underlines the heterogeneity of the self‐employed. Research limitations/implications - Finds that the distinction between different forms of self‐employment (with or without employees) does matter. Thus any research on self‐employment should take into account the heterogeneity of this population. Originality/value - Data cover exhaustively the Swiss labour force, which allows a thorough investigation of the role of various factors. There is no other data in Switzerland that allows the investigation of the evolution of labour‐market phenomena over such a long period. Also focuses on different forms of self‐employment, a distinction that has often been overlooked in the literature.