PhD thesis defence by Nora Wukovits-Votzi
The ‘standard’ permanent, full-time employment relationship remains the dominant contract form across the European Union (EU). At the same time, solo self-employed work has been increasing over the past two decades in certain EU countries. Displaying rapid growth in independent work, the Netherlands has experienced a steep rise in solo self-employment, culminating in an employment share of 15% of the workforce in 2019. Similarly, since 2009 the share of independent workers in France has steadily risen. However, solo self-employment has declined or remained stagnant in other EU countries, such as Austria. This research carries out case study analysis that investigates the micro-level demographic, socio-economic, and geographic characteristics of independent workers and applies configurational analysis to map the institutional settings associated with recent rises in solo self-employment, or the lack thereof, in these three EU countries. Thereby, this doctoral thesis strives to advance a more holistic understanding of the welfare state and labour market institutional incentives for solo self-employment growth and, ultimately, varieties of solo self-employment in the EU.
Within each case study of the Netherlands, France, and Austria, firstly, using national survey and administrative micro-data, this research assesses the workforce characteristics of independent workers over time, as well as how these could relate to the overall institutional level incentive structure. Secondly, based on LABREF and MISSOC databases, it assesses the level and traces the development of select welfare state and labour market policy institutional factors over the past 20 years, guided by a developed framework of how these could be expected to shape cost-related incentives for independent work. These include differentials to (semi-) dependent employment in terms of overall social security contributions due – with a focus on unemployment and sickness insurance contributions specifically – and employment protection regulation, as well the regulatory environments for combatting ‘bogus’ self-employment and business-friendly and active labour market policies for own-account work. Thirdly, the through configurational analysis identified overall cumulative institutional settings for each case study are analysed for their contributions towards ‘dualisation’ and Thelen’s (2014) ‘varieties of liberalisation’ theory.
Nora Wukovits-Votzi is a PhD Researcher at the SPS Department of the European University Institute and an Analyst at the European Commission's DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Her doctoral work in labour market and social policy at the European University Institute (EUI) focused on the growth of non-standard forms of employment and the associated policy settings within EU countries. Previously, she has worked as a policy analyst at the OECD for several years. Her educational background includes a Masters of Science in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor's degree in Politics, Psychology, and Sociology from the University of Cambridge.