Being your own boss is the dream of many people and with the rise of the so-called 'gig economy' it's not only a dream, but for many a long-term legitimate form of employment. However, the number of self-employed workers and the industries they work in varies considerably in the world's richest nations, according to the most recent figures from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Self-employment rates in the US are relatively low and this could largely be explained by the hefty tax contributions independent workers are forced to pay – twice the amount of Social Security and Medicare as their full-time counterparts. Those that have made the switch to self-employment are mainly working in sectors such as construction, professional and business services, educational services, health care and social assistance. 

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Low unemployment and high average salaries have kept self-employment fairly low in Norway. The most popular sectors for independent workers are currently industries such as agriculture and forestry, construction, health and social care, and transportation and storage.

The simple four-step process of setting up a business in Denmark encouraged a massive 360% growth in the number of new enterprises set up between 2014 and 2016, according to Statistics Denmark. Tech companies are particularly well represented with Copenhagen being an important start-up hub for businesses in the sector, covering everything from financial technology to gaming.

The fact that Sweden's employees receive ample social benefits and plenty of holiday time would make it seem an unlikely country for entrepreneurship. However, it is currently ranked as the second best country for business by Forbes, and Stockholm is one of the most lucrative tech hubs in the world, which has acted as a hotbed for successful startups such as music streaming service Spotify. Sweden also now has 20 start-ups per 1,000 employees, while the US has just five.

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Germany is a relatively affordable option when it comes to starting a business and its capital is now a start-up hot spot. Berlin saw €1.7 billion ($1.9 bn, £1.5 bn) of investment in the scene in 2015 alone; only London spent more. The technology and creative sectors are especially popular among entrepreneurs, 34% of which are non-Germans who have decided to take advantage of the value the country offers new businesses.

Around one in ten of Japan's workers are currently self-employed, with 84% of those registered as sole traders. The marine fishery/aquaculture sector is particularly popular, with 95,750 self-employed people in 2016, compared to 64,280 hired employees. The number of self-employed service staff such as home care workers is also increasing, thanks to the country's large ageing population, many of them turning to self-employment themselves in order to keep working past retirement age. 

The number of self-employed people in France has been at a consistent level for a number of years. However, the number of companies being founded is increasing; in January 2018 there were 55,675 new enterprises across the country, a 20% rise on the previous year. Setting up a small business is relatively hassle-free thanks to the micro-entrepreneur status, enabling sole traders an easy registration and  the ability to participate in simple tax and accounting procedures.

Austria's self-employment rate has seen an increase over time. While the number of independent workers in the agriculture sector has decreased from 110,200 in 2000 to 86,700 in 2017, self-employment in all other sectors has increased from 262,800 in 2000 to 407,800 in 2017. The country's start-up scene is relatively new, but has already enjoyed some good success, with a number one ranking from The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor as the best European country for public pre-seed funding.

A recent survey by Eurofound revealed that 42% of independent workers in Finland turned to self-employment after being unable to find a hired position. The study also found that involuntary self-employment was most popular in sectors such as retail and health care, while those who had willingly become self-employed were most likely to be experts in their field or working in the service sector.

The most popular industries for self-employed people in Belgium are agriculture, arts and creative, retail, and professional services. Being a freelance worker isn't a legal status in the country, so workers must choose between being full-time self-employed or part-time self-employed with their main income coming from a regular salaried position. Relatively high taxes and social security contributions can often be a deterrent to Belgians thinking about becoming their own boss.

Switzerland is currently in second place on the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Index rankings, with self-employment being particularly common in those over 65 (43%). While the country has a low unemployment rate in comparison to other European countries, it currently sits at its highest rate for 12 years. This has further boosted self-employment, as well as the general gig economy – the accounting firm Deloitte found that 25% of the country's working population are temps or hired on a per-project basis.

Despite a high rate of unemployment (27%), the number of self-employed people in South Africa has hardly changed in recent years. The amount of people small businesses employ – as well as their incomes – has become stagnant thanks to low economic growth. For those that have taken up self-employment, the most popular sectors are retail, construction and business services.

Canada's strong economy means that the majority of self-employed people switch from hired positions in order to have more work flexibility. A survey by Intuit Canada also revealed that 44% are financially better off. With more employers opting to hire contractors instead of traditional hires, popular sectors include agriculture, construction and real estate. However, it is small business owners that make up the largest majority of the self-employed.

Many of Ireland's self-employed workers are based in rural counties, where work such as agriculture and construction are often the only viable sources of income. Self-employment rates in Ireland have actually slowed in recent years thanks to a recovery of the traditional labour market. Figures from Western Development Commission (WDC) show that in 2016 there was an increase in employees of 12.9%, compared to just 2.3% self-employed people.

The number of self-employed people in the UK has seen a rapid rise over the last 20 years, increasing from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Shopkeeping, hairdressing and domestic cleaning are among the most popular jobs for independent workers. Most small businesses exist among sectors such as crop and animal production, construction, retail, services and land transport. In fact, 75% of these businesses do not employ anyone.

Following the economic downturn and a rise in unemployment, more Spanish people are turning to self-employment. This is particularly the case for younger people, who are more likely to be working independently in retail or hospitality. Despite current economic conditions, there was a 9% increase in the number of foreign self-employed workers in Spain during 2018, mainly those taking advantage of cheaper costs to set up new businesses.

Self-employment figures have continued to rise rapidly across the Netherlands over the past decade. A flexible labour market and encouraged entrepreneurship have meant the country has seen the largest rise in independent workers in all OECD countries. The biggest increase in those opting to become their own boss has been with older workers who are enjoying the chance to remain working and top up their pension with greater flexibility.

The largest sector for self-employed people in Australia is construction, and has been for many years due to the popularity of this type of working arrangement in the industry. Around 20% of self-employed people in the country currently work in this sector. Agriculture is also popular; around 35% of workers are independent. The rise of the gig economy means that there has been a 20% increase in freelancers working in the transport, postal and warehousing industry between 2014 and 2018.

A lack of job opportunities in Portugal has meant greater levels of self-employment, with 73% working as sole traders. Perhaps due to many people feeling forced to make the move into independent working, a study by Eurostat revealed that just 29% of the country's self-employed feel highly satisfied with their job.

While the Czech Republic economy is predicted to slow to 2.2% growth, unemployment has remained lowest in the European Union according to Eurostat. Salaries have also started to increase – so it is perhaps surprising that a large proportion of the population would turn to self-employment. However, the number of start-ups is rising rapidly thanks to encouragement from government agencies, so much so that the country takes second place in Central Europe for the number of newly-launched small enterprises.

New Zealand's construction sector is an important one for self-employed workers with 17% of its workforce being registered as such. In fact, as much as 70% of the country's enterprises are sole traders with no employees, and 28% of these are within the rental, hiring and real estate industry. Other popular sectors include agriculture, forestry and fishing, professional and technical services, and finance. The majority of the growth in self-employment over the last 10 years has been for people aged 50 and over.

The strong Polish economy, along with its business-friendly environment, has made it a popular place to work independently. The majority (78.3%) of those who are registered as self-employed in the country are sole proprietors without employees. With unemployment being low, the most popular reason (26%) for becoming self-employed is to take over a family business.

Self-employment is relatively high in Italy, and has been for a long time. This is partly due to the large numbers of craftspeople, shopkeepers and farmers, and in more recent times high unemployment rates. With unemployment in young people in Italy higher than all other European countries except Greece, more young Italians are turning to entrepreneurship as a source of income. 

There is a high number of self-employed people in South Korea due to the large number of small businesses. However, these 'mom-and-pop' stores have been hit hard in recent years thanks to low consumer spending, rapidly rising rents and heavy competition. The decrease in tourism has also had a negative impact on small enterprises, as has the rise in minimum wage in 2018. Due to these factors, around one million self-employed people actually closed their businesses in 2018.

Mexico's economy is seeing slow growth, leading to an increase in unemployment. This, coupled with more job losses caused by automation, has seen a rise in the number of people launching their own businesses. Technology becoming more affordable has been a big help, as has better connectivity. The thriving tourism industry has encouraged new enterprises in related sectors, while FinTech companies are also boosting levels of entrepreneurship. 

Brazil's economic crisis has left millions of people unemployed. As a result, more people are turning to self-employment, including freelancing in roles such as maids, bricklayers and truck drivers. It's been estimated that around 39.5 million Brazilians have been forced into casual, precarious jobs due to the lack of opportunities available.

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High levels of unemployment following the currency crisis in 2018 have meant more people turning to self-employment in Turkey. The country also has a rigid labour market and severance payments are often very costly, which have contributed to high self-employment. According to a study by Aegon, just 20% of those working independently expect to retire at 65 compared to an average of 40% globally, demonstrating the uncertainty following the economic downturn.

Unemployment in Greece currently sits at 19.3%, according to OECD, and this in turn has led to a higher number of people working for themselves. The majority of the country's businesses are small enterprises. Eures notes that 85% have fewer than five employees and 80% have turnover up to €150,000 ($170k, £134k). 

Nearly half of the working population in China is currently self-employed. A large proportion of these freelancers are made up of the 150 million migrant workers from the country's rural areas. In general, those from rural areas turn to self-employment as a way to avoid low paying city jobs, while those from cities turn to entrepreneurship as a way to avoid unemployment. 

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