To be or not to be. . . self-employed? Toward addressing the job quality debate and its challenges

Self-employed workers’ relative job quality is a matter of theoretical and policy debate. Whereas the precarity framework highlights employees’ good job quality especially compared to independent contractors, this study conceptualizes “self-employment/independent contractor configurations” as distinct groups of workers who differ in whether they report being self-employed and/or independent contractors, with different job quality implications. Based on multivariable analyses of data on multiple job quality dimensions (perceived job insecurity, autonomy, scheduling flexibility, satisfaction with fringe benefits, income), the results indicate the precarity framework best accounts for job quality dimensions like satisfaction with fringe benefits. Yet, job quality variation among self-employed workers is best captured by the conceptualization and complementary model I develop: for instance, although autonomy is hailed as a benefit of self-employment, independent contractors who do not identify as self-employed perceive less autonomy than self-employed independent contractors and similar levels as employees. Implications are discussed.