Dive Brief:
- Workers in the famously entrepreneurial, "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" U.S. are extremely unlikely by international standards to do just that, according an article at Bloombergview.com.
- According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. self-employment rate, which is about 10% of total employment (doesn't include people with their own incorporated businesses), is low by global standards. Neighbor Mexico has about a 33% self-employment rate by comparison.
- Even when compared with other highly advanced economies, the U.S. seems a haven for conventional employment and a relatively slow adopter of new work practices.
Dive Insight:
Basically, the U.S. comes across as the last haven of the full-time, permanent (or at least non-temporary) job. That's generally a good thing for U.S. workers, reports BloombergView, although there are indications that in some countries employer creativity in crafting flexible jobs has actually lured people into the workforce.
The death of the traditional job has been proclaimed again and again and again, and in some parts of the world it really does seem endangered. In the U.S., though, it is proving to be quite resilient, according to the article.
