The Economic Value of Different Types of Solo Self-Employed: A Review

Abstract

We review the literature on solo self-employment focusing on prevalence, characteristics and economic contributions. Besides providing explanations for the upward trend in solo self-employment observed in many Western economies, we shed light on the heterogeneity within the population of solo self-employed with respect to demographic characteristics and start-up motives. Moreover, we review the literature on the contributions of the solo self-employed to economic value creation, including income, innovativeness, and ambitions.

Keywords: solo self-employed, value creation, review