Statistics Finland studies self-employed people

Statistics Finland studies self-employed people for the first time. The purpose of the survey to be started at the end of August is to collect data on the situation and working conditions of sole entrepreneurs, self-employed persons, freelance workers and persons working on a grant.

The group of persons employing themselves in different ways has been growing steadily over the past ten years. "At the moment, there are about 154,000 self-employed people aged 15 to 64 in Finland. However, very little is known about the employment situation or working conditions of this group," says Senior Researcher Anna Pärnänen from Statistics Finland.

"The survey aims to examine what is good and bad about being an entrepreneur or a freelancer, how their social security is arranged and how they have ended up as entrepreneurs."

The survey can be answered either by telephone or on the Internet

Statistics Finland will carry out the survey in autumn 2013. The sample for the survey is drawn from Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey. Its target group consists of those entrepreneurs and self-employed persons without paid employees as well as freelancers or those employed with a grant. Those selected to the survey can answer either on the Internet or by telephone.

All data collected for the survey will be treated as confidential and information concerning an individual respondent cannot be distinguished from the survey results that will be published in the form of statistics. The data are collected by Statistics Finland's own network of interviewers.

The survey is financed by Statistics Finland as well as by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The first results will be published in autumn 2014.

Further information: Anna Pärnänen +358 9 1734 3795