Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Paper Series,
Research Institute of Industrial Economics

No 1487: Self-Employment among In-Movers and Stayers in Rural Areas: Insights from Swedish Register and Survey Data

Lina Aldén, Mats Hammarstedt () and Per Skedinger ()
Additional contact information
Lina Aldén: Linnaeus University
Mats Hammarstedt: Linnaeus University, Postal: and Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm, Sweden, ,
Per Skedinger: Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Postal: Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Box 55665, SE-102 15 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: Our use of longitudinal register data combined with a unique survey allows us to offer a more comprehensive picture of rural self-employment than in previous studies. We find that self-employed in rural settings are more likely than those in metropolitan regions to employ others, but self-employment rates in rural areas are lower. There is substantial heterogeneity among the rural self-employed; in-movers are quite different from stayers in terms of their perceptions of the conditions necessary for business success and their employment practices. Policy initiatives aimed at fostering development in rural areas should consider these distinctions.

Keywords: Self-Employment; Labor Mobility; Regional Development; Rural Economics

JEL-codes: J24; J61; R11

Language: English

49 pages, April 26, 2024

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