Self-Employment in the Developing World

This paper analyzes heterogeneity among the self-employed in 74 developing countries, representing two-thirds of the population of the developing world. After profiling how worker characteristics vary by employment status, it classifies self-employed workers outside agriculture as "successful" or "unsuccessful" entrepreneurs, based on two measures of success: whether the worker is an employer, and whether the worker resides in a non-poor household. Four main findings emerge. First, jobs exhibit a clear pecking order, with household welfare and worker education highest for employers, followed by wage and salaried employees, non-agricultural own-account workers, non-agricultural unpaid family workers, and finally agricultural workers. Second, a substantial minority of own-account workers reside in non-poor households, suggesting that their profits are often a secondary source of household income. Third, as per capita income increases, the structure of employment shifts rapidly, first out of agriculture into unsuccessful non-agricultural self-employment, and then mainly into non-agricultural wage employment. Finally, roughly one-third of the unsuccessful entrepreneurs share similar characteristics with their successful counterparts, suggesting they have the potential to be successful but face constraints to growth. The authors conclude that although interventions such as access to credit can benefit a substantial portion of the self-employed, effectively targeting the minority of self-employed with higher growth potential is important, particularly in low-income contexts. The results also highlight the potential benefits of policies that facilitate shifts in the nature of work, first from agricultural labor into non-agricultural self-employment, and then into wage and salaried jobs.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Newhouse, David, Gindling, T. H.
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-09
Subjects:AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT, AGRICULTURAL LABOR, AGRICULTURAL WAGE, AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, AGRICULTURE, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, EARNING, ECONOMIC GROWTH, EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, ENTREPRENEURS, FAMILY WORKERS, FIRM SIZE, FUTURE RESEARCH, GDP, GDP PER CAPITA, GROWTH POTENTIAL, HIGH INCOME, HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD HEAD, HOUSEHOLD HEADS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, HOUSEHOLD_HEAD, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, INCOME COUNTRIES, INCOME COUNTRY, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME GROUP, INCOME GROUPS, INCOME LEVEL, INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT, INFORMAL SECTOR, JOB CREATION, JOB SEARCH, JOBS, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKETS, LABOUR, LIVING STANDARDS, LOW INCOME, MIDDLE INCOME, MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES, PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION, PER CAPITA INCOME, PER CAPITA INCOMES, PERFORMERS, POOR, POOR HOUSEHOLD, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POVERTY LINE, PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE, PRESENTED EVIDENCE, PROBIT REGRESSIONS, REGRESSION ANALYSIS, RETIREMENT, RISK AVERSION, RURAL, RURAL AREAS, SALARIED EMPLOYMENT, SALARIED WORKER, SALARIED WORKERS, SALARY, SELF-EMPLOYED, SMALL FARMERS, TARGETING, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS, WAGE, WAGE EARNER, WAGE EMPLOYMENT, WAGE SECTOR, WAGES, WEALTH, WORKER, WORKERS,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/09/16867195/self-employment-developing-world
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/12090
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spelling dig-okr-10986120902024-08-08T14:51:15Z Self-Employment in the Developing World Newhouse, David Gindling, T. H. AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT AGRICULTURAL LABOR AGRICULTURAL WAGE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AGRICULTURE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS EARNING ECONOMIC GROWTH EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT GROWTH EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYMENT STATUS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT ENTREPRENEURS FAMILY WORKERS FIRM SIZE FUTURE RESEARCH GDP GDP PER CAPITA GROWTH POTENTIAL HIGH INCOME HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD HEAD HOUSEHOLD HEADS HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSEHOLD_HEAD HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INCOME COUNTRIES INCOME COUNTRY INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME GROUP INCOME GROUPS INCOME LEVEL INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT INFORMAL SECTOR JOB CREATION JOB SEARCH JOBS LABOR FORCE LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LABOUR LIVING STANDARDS LOW INCOME MIDDLE INCOME MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA INCOME PER CAPITA INCOMES PERFORMERS POOR POOR HOUSEHOLD POOR HOUSEHOLDS POVERTY LINE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE PRESENTED EVIDENCE PROBIT REGRESSIONS REGRESSION ANALYSIS RETIREMENT RISK AVERSION RURAL RURAL AREAS SALARIED EMPLOYMENT SALARIED WORKER SALARIED WORKERS SALARY SELF-EMPLOYED SMALL FARMERS TARGETING UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS WAGE WAGE EARNER WAGE EMPLOYMENT WAGE SECTOR WAGES WEALTH WORKER WORKERS This paper analyzes heterogeneity among the self-employed in 74 developing countries, representing two-thirds of the population of the developing world. After profiling how worker characteristics vary by employment status, it classifies self-employed workers outside agriculture as "successful" or "unsuccessful" entrepreneurs, based on two measures of success: whether the worker is an employer, and whether the worker resides in a non-poor household. Four main findings emerge. First, jobs exhibit a clear pecking order, with household welfare and worker education highest for employers, followed by wage and salaried employees, non-agricultural own-account workers, non-agricultural unpaid family workers, and finally agricultural workers. Second, a substantial minority of own-account workers reside in non-poor households, suggesting that their profits are often a secondary source of household income. Third, as per capita income increases, the structure of employment shifts rapidly, first out of agriculture into unsuccessful non-agricultural self-employment, and then mainly into non-agricultural wage employment. Finally, roughly one-third of the unsuccessful entrepreneurs share similar characteristics with their successful counterparts, suggesting they have the potential to be successful but face constraints to growth. The authors conclude that although interventions such as access to credit can benefit a substantial portion of the self-employed, effectively targeting the minority of self-employed with higher growth potential is important, particularly in low-income contexts. The results also highlight the potential benefits of policies that facilitate shifts in the nature of work, first from agricultural labor into non-agricultural self-employment, and then into wage and salaried jobs. 2013-01-04T18:32:57Z 2013-01-04T18:32:57Z 2012-09 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/09/16867195/self-employment-developing-world https://hdl.handle.net/10986/12090 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper; No. 6201 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank application/pdf text/plain World Bank, Washington, DC
institution Banco Mundial
collection DSpace
country Estados Unidos
countrycode US
component Bibliográfico
access En linea
databasecode dig-okr
tag biblioteca
region America del Norte
libraryname Biblioteca del Banco Mundial
language English
en_US
topic AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
AGRICULTURE
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
EARNING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ENTREPRENEURS
FAMILY WORKERS
FIRM SIZE
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GROWTH POTENTIAL
HIGH INCOME
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD HEADS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSEHOLD_HEAD
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME COUNTRIES
INCOME COUNTRY
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME LEVEL
INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
INFORMAL SECTOR
JOB CREATION
JOB SEARCH
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOUR
LIVING STANDARDS
LOW INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOMES
PERFORMERS
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLD
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POVERTY LINE
PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PROBIT REGRESSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RETIREMENT
RISK AVERSION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SALARIED WORKER
SALARIED WORKERS
SALARY
SELF-EMPLOYED
SMALL FARMERS
TARGETING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS
WAGE
WAGE EARNER
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE SECTOR
WAGES
WEALTH
WORKER
WORKERS
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
AGRICULTURE
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
EARNING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ENTREPRENEURS
FAMILY WORKERS
FIRM SIZE
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GROWTH POTENTIAL
HIGH INCOME
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD HEADS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSEHOLD_HEAD
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME COUNTRIES
INCOME COUNTRY
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME LEVEL
INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
INFORMAL SECTOR
JOB CREATION
JOB SEARCH
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOUR
LIVING STANDARDS
LOW INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOMES
PERFORMERS
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLD
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POVERTY LINE
PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PROBIT REGRESSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RETIREMENT
RISK AVERSION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SALARIED WORKER
SALARIED WORKERS
SALARY
SELF-EMPLOYED
SMALL FARMERS
TARGETING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS
WAGE
WAGE EARNER
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE SECTOR
WAGES
WEALTH
WORKER
WORKERS
spellingShingle AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
AGRICULTURE
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
EARNING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ENTREPRENEURS
FAMILY WORKERS
FIRM SIZE
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GROWTH POTENTIAL
HIGH INCOME
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD HEADS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSEHOLD_HEAD
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME COUNTRIES
INCOME COUNTRY
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME LEVEL
INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
INFORMAL SECTOR
JOB CREATION
JOB SEARCH
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOUR
LIVING STANDARDS
LOW INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOMES
PERFORMERS
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLD
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POVERTY LINE
PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PROBIT REGRESSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RETIREMENT
RISK AVERSION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SALARIED WORKER
SALARIED WORKERS
SALARY
SELF-EMPLOYED
SMALL FARMERS
TARGETING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS
WAGE
WAGE EARNER
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE SECTOR
WAGES
WEALTH
WORKER
WORKERS
AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
AGRICULTURE
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
EARNING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ENTREPRENEURS
FAMILY WORKERS
FIRM SIZE
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GROWTH POTENTIAL
HIGH INCOME
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD HEADS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSEHOLD_HEAD
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME COUNTRIES
INCOME COUNTRY
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME LEVEL
INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
INFORMAL SECTOR
JOB CREATION
JOB SEARCH
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOUR
LIVING STANDARDS
LOW INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOMES
PERFORMERS
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLD
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POVERTY LINE
PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PROBIT REGRESSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RETIREMENT
RISK AVERSION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SALARIED WORKER
SALARIED WORKERS
SALARY
SELF-EMPLOYED
SMALL FARMERS
TARGETING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS
WAGE
WAGE EARNER
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE SECTOR
WAGES
WEALTH
WORKER
WORKERS
Newhouse, David
Gindling, T. H.
Self-Employment in the Developing World
description This paper analyzes heterogeneity among the self-employed in 74 developing countries, representing two-thirds of the population of the developing world. After profiling how worker characteristics vary by employment status, it classifies self-employed workers outside agriculture as "successful" or "unsuccessful" entrepreneurs, based on two measures of success: whether the worker is an employer, and whether the worker resides in a non-poor household. Four main findings emerge. First, jobs exhibit a clear pecking order, with household welfare and worker education highest for employers, followed by wage and salaried employees, non-agricultural own-account workers, non-agricultural unpaid family workers, and finally agricultural workers. Second, a substantial minority of own-account workers reside in non-poor households, suggesting that their profits are often a secondary source of household income. Third, as per capita income increases, the structure of employment shifts rapidly, first out of agriculture into unsuccessful non-agricultural self-employment, and then mainly into non-agricultural wage employment. Finally, roughly one-third of the unsuccessful entrepreneurs share similar characteristics with their successful counterparts, suggesting they have the potential to be successful but face constraints to growth. The authors conclude that although interventions such as access to credit can benefit a substantial portion of the self-employed, effectively targeting the minority of self-employed with higher growth potential is important, particularly in low-income contexts. The results also highlight the potential benefits of policies that facilitate shifts in the nature of work, first from agricultural labor into non-agricultural self-employment, and then into wage and salaried jobs.
topic_facet AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT
AGRICULTURAL LABOR
AGRICULTURAL WAGE
AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
AGRICULTURE
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
EARNING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
ENTREPRENEURS
FAMILY WORKERS
FIRM SIZE
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GDP PER CAPITA
GROWTH POTENTIAL
HIGH INCOME
HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD HEADS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSEHOLD_HEAD
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
INCOME COUNTRIES
INCOME COUNTRY
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME GROUP
INCOME GROUPS
INCOME LEVEL
INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
INFORMAL SECTOR
JOB CREATION
JOB SEARCH
JOBS
LABOR FORCE
LABOR MARKET
LABOR MARKETS
LABOUR
LIVING STANDARDS
LOW INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME
MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
PER CAPITA INCOME
PER CAPITA INCOMES
PERFORMERS
POOR
POOR HOUSEHOLD
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POVERTY LINE
PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
PRESENTED EVIDENCE
PROBIT REGRESSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RETIREMENT
RISK AVERSION
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
SALARIED EMPLOYMENT
SALARIED WORKER
SALARIED WORKERS
SALARY
SELF-EMPLOYED
SMALL FARMERS
TARGETING
UNEMPLOYED
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNPAID FAMILY WORKERS
WAGE
WAGE EARNER
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE SECTOR
WAGES
WEALTH
WORKER
WORKERS
author Newhouse, David
Gindling, T. H.
author_facet Newhouse, David
Gindling, T. H.
author_sort Newhouse, David
title Self-Employment in the Developing World
title_short Self-Employment in the Developing World
title_full Self-Employment in the Developing World
title_fullStr Self-Employment in the Developing World
title_full_unstemmed Self-Employment in the Developing World
title_sort self-employment in the developing world
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012-09
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/09/16867195/self-employment-developing-world
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/12090
work_keys_str_mv AT newhousedavid selfemploymentinthedevelopingworld
AT gindlingth selfemploymentinthedevelopingworld
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