IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jdevst/v59y2023i9p1391-1408.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Vulnerable are the Self-Employed? Evidence from Ugandan Small-Scale Entrepreneurs

Author

Listed:
  • Tabea Lakemann

Abstract

Due to small firm sizes and inter-linkages between household and business finances, small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries are inherently vulnerable to temporary and permanent income shortfalls, and hence household poverty. While the International Labour Organisation (ILO) generally defines self-employment without employees as vulnerable employment, little empirical research has been done on the extent to which the self-employed are indeed vulnerable. This paper makes two main contributions: first, it operationalises the concept of vulnerability in the context of self-employment in developing countries by defining vulnerability as the risk of having business income below a living wage threshold. Secondly, it investigates the extent and correlates of vulnerability. Using a six-year balanced entrepreneur panel dataset from Kampala, Uganda, it is shown that the self-employed are heterogeneous with respect to vulnerability and observed earnings: 58–74% of the samples are classified as vulnerable in a given year and mostly earn incomes below the living wage threshold. Vulnerable entrepreneurs are shown to be significantly different from non-vulnerable entrepreneurs in several dimensions, including those that do not directly predict income.

Suggested Citation

  • Tabea Lakemann, 2023. "How Vulnerable are the Self-Employed? Evidence from Ugandan Small-Scale Entrepreneurs," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(9), pages 1391-1408, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:59:y:2023:i:9:p:1391-1408
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2023.2217996
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00220388.2023.2217996
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00220388.2023.2217996?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luc J. Christiaensen & Kalanidhi Subbarao, 2005. "Towards an Understanding of Household Vulnerability in Rural Kenya," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 14(4), pages 520-558, December.
    2. Wubneshe Dessalegn Biru & Manfred Zeller & Tim K. Loos, 2020. "Correction to: The Impact of Agricultural Technologies on Poverty and Vulnerability of Smallholders in Ethiopia: A Panel Data Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 351-351, February.
    3. Grimm, Michael & Knorringa, Peter & Lay, Jann, 2012. "Constrained Gazelles: High Potentials in West Africa’s Informal Economy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1352-1368.
    4. Precious Akampumuza & Hirotaka Matsuda, 2017. "Weather Shocks and Urban Livelihood Strategies: The Gender Dimension of Household Vulnerability in the Kumi District Of Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(6), pages 953-970, June.
    5. Ines A. Ferreira & Vincenzo Salvucci & Finn Tarp, 2021. "Poverty and vulnerability transitions in Myanmar: An analysis using synthetic panels," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 1919-1944, November.
    6. Anh Thu Quang Pham & Pundarik Mukhopadhaya & Ha Vu, 2021. "Estimating poverty and vulnerability to monetary and non-monetary poverty: the case of Vietnam," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(6), pages 3125-3177, December.
    7. Lo Bue, Maria C. & Le, Tu Thi Ngoc & Santos Silva, Manuel & Sen, Kunal, 2022. "Gender and vulnerable employment in the developing world: Evidence from global microdata," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Mauricio Gallardo, 2020. "Measuring Vulnerability to Multidimensional Poverty," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 67-103, February.
    9. Wubneshe Dessalegn Biru & Manfred Zeller & Tim K. Loos, 2020. "The Impact of Agricultural Technologies on Poverty and Vulnerability of Smallholders in Ethiopia: A Panel Data Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 517-544, January.
    10. Richard Kwabena Nkrumah & Samuel Kobina Annim & Benedict Afful, 2021. "Household Social Expenditure in Ghana: Examining the Ex-Post Effects and Vulnerability to Poverty," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, January.
    11. Maike Hohberg & Katja Landau & Thomas Kneib & Stephan Klasen & Walter Zucchini, 2018. "Vulnerability to poverty revisited: Flexible modeling and better predictive performance," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 16(3), pages 439-454, September.
    12. Soazic Elise Wang Sonne & Timothy Kinoti, 2022. "‘Craft for social good’: do on the job training of artisans’ impact on their vulnerability to poverty? Evidence from Kibera," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 76-91, January.
    13. Mead, Donald C. & Liedholm, Carl, 1998. "The dynamics of micro and small enterprises in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 61-74, January.
    14. Dodlova, Marina & Göbel, Kristin & Grimm, Michael & Lay, Jann, 2015. "Constrained firms, not subsistence activities: Evidence on capital returns and accumulation in Peruvian microenterprises," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 94-110.
    15. Esso-Hanam Atake, 2018. "Health shocks in Sub-Saharan Africa: are the poor and uninsured households more vulnerable?," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    16. Roy E. Welsch & Edwin Kuh, 1977. "Linear Regression Diagnostics," NBER Working Papers 0173, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Muhammad Masood Azeem & Amin W. Mugera & Steven Schilizzi, 2019. "Do Social Protection Transfers Reduce Poverty and Vulnerability to Poverty in Pakistan? Household Level Evidence from Punjab," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(8), pages 1757-1783, August.
    18. Ethan Ligon & Laura Schechter, 2003. "Measuring Vulnerability," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(486), pages 95-102, March.
    19. Katarzyna Cieslik & Olivia D’Aoust, 2018. "Risky Business? Rural Entrepreneurship in Subsistence Markets: Evidence from Burundi," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(4), pages 693-717, September.
    20. Linh Khac Bui & Huyen Hoang, 2021. "Non-farm employment, food poverty and vulnerability in rural Vietnam," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7326-7357, May.
    21. Jehovaness Aikaeli & David Garcés‐Urzainqui & Kenneth Mdadila, 2021. "Understanding poverty dynamics and vulnerability in Tanzania: 2012–2018," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 1869-1894, November.
    22. Stefan Dercon & Pramila Krishnan, 2000. "Vulnerability, seasonality and poverty in Ethiopia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(6), pages 25-53.
    23. Ward, Patrick S., 2016. "Transient Poverty, Poverty Dynamics, and Vulnerability to Poverty: An Empirical Analysis Using a Balanced Panel from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 541-553.
    24. Hai-Anh H. Dang & Andrew L. Dabalen, 2019. "Is Poverty in Africa Mostly Chronic or Transient? Evidence from Synthetic Panel Data," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(7), pages 1527-1547, July.
    25. Isaac Koomson & Renato A. Villano & David Hadley, 2020. "Effect of Financial Inclusion on Poverty and Vulnerability to Poverty: Evidence Using a Multidimensional Measure of Financial Inclusion," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 613-639, June.
    26. Salvucci, Vincenzo & Santos, Ricardo, 2020. "Vulnerability to Natural Shocks: Assessing the Short-Term Impact on Consumption and Poverty of the 2015 Flood in Mozambique," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    27. Muhammad Masood Azeem & Amin W. Mugera & Steven Schilizzi, 2018. "Vulnerability to Multi-Dimensional Poverty: An Empirical Comparison of Alternative Measurement Approaches," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(9), pages 1612-1636, September.
    28. Martin OSTERMEIER & Sarah LINDE & Jann LAY & Sebastian PREDIGER, 2015. "SMARTer indicators for decent work in a post-2015 development agenda: A proposal," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 154(3), pages 285-302, September.
    29. Gemechu Aga & David Francis, 2017. "As the market churns: productivity and firm exit in developing countries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 379-403, August.
    30. Victor E. Tokman, 2007. "Modernizing the informal sector," Working Papers 42, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jhon Edwar Hernández & Blanca Zuluaga, 2022. "Vulnerability to Multidimensional Poverty: An Application to Colombian Households," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 345-371, November.
    2. Anh Thu Quang Pham & Pundarik Mukhopadhaya & Ha Vu, 2021. "Estimating poverty and vulnerability to monetary and non-monetary poverty: the case of Vietnam," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(6), pages 3125-3177, December.
    3. Oconnor, Christopher, 2023. "Robust estimates of vulnerability to poverty using quantile models," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    4. Azeem, Muhammad Masood & Mugera, Amin W. & Schilizzi, Steven, 2016. "Poverty and vulnerability in the Punjab, Pakistan: A multilevel analysis," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 57-72.
    5. Gallardo, Mauricio, 2022. "Measuring vulnerability to multidimensional poverty with Bayesian network classifiers," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 492-512.
    6. Jing Su & Liwei Tang & Pan Xiao & Ermei Wang, 2023. "Multidimensional poverty vulnerability in rural China," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(2), pages 897-930, February.
    7. Zhengjie Zhang & Jiahao Song & Caixia Yan & Dingde Xu & Wei Wang, 2022. "Rural Household Differentiation and Poverty Vulnerability: An Empirical Analysis Based on the Field Survey in Hubei, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Chiwaula, Levison & Waibel, Hermann, 2011. "Does seasonal vulnerability to poverty matter? A case study from the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands in Nigeria," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 19, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    9. Bo Yang & Xiangnan Wang & Tong Wu & Weihua Deng, 2023. "Reducing farmers' poverty vulnerability in China: The role of digital financial inclusion," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1445-1480, August.
    10. Lei He & Shuyi Zhou, 2024. "Measuring household vulnerability to medical expenditure shock: method and its empirical application," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 465-480, September.
    11. Christian D. Mina & Katsushi S. Imai, 2017. "Estimation of Vulnerability to Poverty Using a Multilevel Longitudinal Model: Evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(12), pages 2118-2144, December.
    12. Nicholas Ngepah & Tsholofelo Makgalemele & Charles Shaaba Saba, 2023. "The relationship between education and vulnerability to poverty in South Africa," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 633-656, February.
    13. Zereyesus, Yacob & Embaye, Weldensie & Tsiboe, Francis & Amanor-Boadu, Vincent, 2016. "Participation in non-farm work and vulnerability to food poverty of households in northern Ghana," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235741, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Günther, Isabel & Harttgen, Kenneth, 2009. "Estimating Households Vulnerability to Idiosyncratic and Covariate Shocks: A Novel Method Applied in Madagascar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(7), pages 1222-1234, July.
    15. Barriga Cabanillas, Oscar & Bossuroy, Thomas & Corral Rodas, Paul Andres & Rodriguez Castelan, Carlos & Skoufias, Emmanuel, 2024. "Sustaining Poverty Gains: A Vulnerability Map to Guide Social Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 17193, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Joaquín Prieto, 2024. "Degrees of vulnerability to poverty: A low-income dynamics approach for Chile," Working Papers 666, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    17. Zheng, Hongyun & Ma, Wanglin, 2023. "Impact of agricultural commercialization on dietary diversity and vulnerability to poverty: Insights from Chinese rural households," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 558-569.
    18. Hill, Ruth Vargas & Porter, Catherine, 2017. "Vulnerability to Drought and Food Price Shocks: Evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 65-77.
    19. Oscar Eduardo Barriga Cabanillas & Carlos Rodriguez Castelan & Emmanuel Skoufias & Thomas Bossuroy & Paul Andres Corral Rodas, 2024. "Sustaining Poverty Gains : A Vulnerability Map to Guide the Expansion of Social Registries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10890, The World Bank.
    20. Amrita Saha & Rachel Sabates-Wheeler & John Thompson, 2022. "Insights into smallholder capacity for agricultural commercialisation: Evidence from four African contexts," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1757-1802, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:59:y:2023:i:9:p:1391-1408. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/FJDS20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.