Career ambitions of solo self-employed workers: a qualitative study in the construction industry

We have focused on career ambitions of solo self-employed workers working in the construction industry. Previous studies on solo self-employed workers have paid attention to factors promoting entrepreneurship and neglected the career development of solo self-employed workers. Little is known about the career ambitions of solo self-employed workers, therefore it is difficult to predict how this group of workers on the labor market will develop over time. Currently, it is a challenge for policy makers to anticipate. To advance the knowledge on the career ambitions of solo self-employed workers, twenty Dutch solo self-employed workers were interviewed. The results showed that the majority of the solo self-employed workers who participated in this qualitative research mainly aimed to continue their career, some of them in combination with the ambition to innovate. Nearly all respondents preferred to work as a solo self-employed worker, and did not have plans to let their venture grow by employing employees. Instead, they tended to hire temporary workers or to collaborate with other solo self-employed workers. In this regard, it can be said that, although they do not hire employees, solo self-employed workers contribute to work creation and, therefore, have a significant role in the contemporary flexible labor market.