Self-Employment Levels, After 2020 Dip, Return to Pre-Pandemic Numbers, Says Survey

The nation’s self-employment sector has expanded by more than half a million jobs in 2021, according to a new survey just published by the Pew Research Center.

Like all other areas of the economy, the self-employment industry experienced a hit during the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent national economic shutdown.

In 2019, some 15.4 million people were identified as being self-employed, one of the highest numbers for that segment in years.

But by the end of last year, that number, facing the uncertainties of a pandemic economy, had declined to 15.2 million.

Now, as of late 2021, the number has regained what was lost during the year of the pandemic—and then some. According to the survey there are now 15.7 million people classified as self-employed.

“Changes in self-employment played out similarly among women and men, both of whom experienced sharp losses in employment in 2020 and notable gains in 2020,” notes Rakesh Kochhar, a senior researcher at Pew in explaining the survey.

The numbers have also changed, and in a positive direction, for those in smaller businesses who are hired by the self-employed. That number now stands as 107.7 million, up dramatically from where it was a year ago at 98.7 million.

Despite the upwards trajectory, however, the survey notes that this segment has not returned to its pre-pandemic glory when the total number was at 110.5 million.

The rebound in the self-employment numbers was first significantly seen in the second quarter of this year and has continued onward.

According to a separate survey released by the National Association for the Self-Employed, some 43% of respondents characterized the pandemic economy as the “worst economic downturn that they have experienced,” with at least 77% revealing that they were not currently planning on hiring new workers.

By Garry Boulard

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