Results From The Survey Of Self Employment In Canada

This report presents the main results from the Survey of Self-Employment, 2000. Human Resources Development Canada sponsored the survey, which was conducted by Statistics Canada in April 2000. Among other topics, the report provides information on the training behaviour, previous work experience, and present work arrangements of the self-employed.

Important questions exist about differences & similarities in the training patterns of the self-employed. At one level are basic questions about participation in work-related training. At another level are questions about the types of training undertaken by the self-employed. This paper examines these questions by drawing on the Survey of Self-Employment conducted in April 2000. The Survey provides current & much-needed data on the self-employed population in Canada. The introduction reviews existing research on training & skill development in Canada & other countries to provide general context for the analysis that follows. The paper then uses cross-tabulations to examine four key issues: general training patterns, participation in formal training, type & duration of informal training, and the perceived usefulness & advantages of formal & informal training.

This study aims to identify potential policy options to promote equality and economic opportunities for self-employed women, particularly during periods when their businesses are interrupted by ill health or family caregiving. The report describes the research methodology used in the study and presents the results of a literature review. It then addresses the following points: characteristics of self-employed women; interruptions in business earnings; role of government in granting access to special benefits; Quebec's plan to extend parental and maternity benefits to self-employed individuals; a self-funded tax savings plan; private insurance; access to financing. It then presents recommendations that aim to increase accessibility to various forms of income protection for self-employed women.