The thesis provides a comparative analysis of self-employed workers in Chile and Spain, aiming to identify similarities and differences in the configuration of different profiles of self-employment. It analyses data from 2019 to 2022 and combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The first phase identifies three occupational strata -high, medium and low- while the second uses biographical interviews to reconstruct employment trajectories.
The research identifies four types of trajectories: linear, multiple employment, discontinuous and informal. The findings reveal a differentiated social structure of self-employment, ranging from high-quality and professionalised independent occupations to lower-skilled activities, with informality being particularly prevalent in Chile.
Author: Claudia Andrea Baeza Cabello
Supervisors: Pedro López Roldán & Sandra Fachelli
Date of thesis defense: 27/03/2026
