Self-employment in the labor market /
As self-employment increases as a percentage of the work
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1994.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=741944941&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | As self-employment increases as a percentage of the work force, so grows the interest in understanding the characteristics and labor market behavior of these workers. This study investigates the historical trends in the composition of the self-employed, the determinants of an individual's choice to enter self-employment, and examines state to state variations in self-employment rates. Its primary findings are that variations in the self-employment rate among men are closely associated with changes in the demographic and industrial composition of the male work force. Among women, self-employment has grown consistently over the last fifteen years and the growth is occurring within groups. The source of the growth in the female self- employment rate is therefore more difficult to pinpoint than is the source of the variations in the rate among men, but analysis at the individual level indicates the female self- employment rate is closely tied to family composition. At the individual level, a worker's decision to enter self- employment is a function of relative wages in the wage and salary and self-employment sectors and the worker's preferences of leisure. A team forming model is proposed that shows that workers who prefer either low or high hours are least likely to be chosen as teammates and are therefore most likely to enter self-employment. The empirical evidence is consistent with the intuition of the model. Self- employment rates are highest among workers who report either low or high hours even after controlling for observable labor supply parameters. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Economics". |
| Physical Description: | xiii,137 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |