The collective risk management of solo self-employed in the Netherlands.

Abstract

The growth of solo self-employed in the Netherlands (zzp’ers) have not triggered yet a debate on how to combine their income security and business autonomy. The extent to which the social protection system and interests’ groups promote zzp’ers to take up collective arrangements mitigating income insecurity due to work incapacity and preventing income insecurity due to poor employability is investigated using the social risk management framework. Correcting economic obstacles and irrational risk perceptions, collective arrangements are found to encourage the take-up of work incapacity insurance and training among zzp’ers. Findings are based on a quantitative analysis using the Dutch Self-employed Working Conditions Survey (ZEA 2015).