Over the last 40 years, self-employment has undergone a series of changes, with an overall drop in the proportion of self-employed people, especially domestic caregivers, among people in employment generally, a decline in the agricultural sector and a boom in services. It appears that self-employed men and women do different jobs: women are mainly found in the service sector while there are relatively more men in construction, agriculture and industry. These contrasts aside, self-employed people – men and women – have been overrepresented among the financially better-off since the 1980s.

The cluster of self-employed persons in the wealthiest population segments partially reflects a causal link between wealth and the decision to become self-employed, which may be seen as proof that opting for self-employment is subject to financial constraints. Until the mid-1990s, there was a rise in the proportion of employed men who became self-employed in the year following an increase in their wealth, either through inheritance or an increase in the value of a property. However, this effect gradually decreased and has no longer been significant since the 2000s. There does not appear to be a similar effect among women.