Les dimensions de l’hétérogénéité de la catégorie de travailleur indépendant sans employé Éléments pour une typologie The Dimensions of Heterogeneity among Own-Account Self-Employed: Elements for a Typology Las dimensiones de la heterogeneidad de la categoría de trabajador independiente sin empleado : elementos para una tipología

Résumé

Le présent article vise à décrire et à expliquer la diversité des situations couvertes par la catégorie juridique de travailleur indépendant (travailleur autonome sans employé). Utilisant les méthodologies de l’analyse factorielle de correspondances multiples et de la classification ascendante hiérarchique, il analyse l’hétérogénéité au sein d’un échantillon de 293 travailleurs indépendants, autour de cinq dimensions : les caractéristiques du producteur, la nature de sa clientèle, le type de produit, l’organisation du travail (incluant la rémunération) et la protection contre les risques sociaux et professionnels. Ce faisant, il contribue à dégager six profils de travailleurs indépendants : les non-professionnels indépendants, les petits producteurs dépendants, les professionnels libéraux, les conseillers et consultants, les autres indépendants et ceux cumulant travail indépendant et salariat atypique et, finalement, les professionnels bénéficiant d’ententes collectives de travail. Il illustre par ailleurs qu’une partie de cette hétérogénéité est attribuable au brouillage des frontières entre les modèles « purs » de salariat et d’indépendance.

Summary

Self-employment is one of the two main non-standard work forms (different from regular full-time employment) in Quebec and Canada. Although some research has documented the differences between the own-account self-employed and those who are employers, little is known about the diversity of situation among the own-account self-employed, the subcategory which underwent tremendous growth between 1976 and 2000, with a slight drop since that time. The present research, based on a sample of 293 respondents whose main job in 2000 was own-account self-employment, analyses such diversity through five dimensions: the worker’s characteristics, the type of clientele, the nature of the product, the organization of work (including remuneration) and finally the level and the type of protection against social and professional hazards.

A multiple correspondence analysis revealed two main axes of opposition among the sample. The first axis spreads out between two extreme positions: at one end of the continuum stand the self-employed who are economically independent with a high number of customers, mostly individuals, while at the other end are those with only few customers, mostly firms, one of which provides half or more of the worker’s income. Generally speaking, the former tend to control their work while the latter tend to be controlled by their clients. The second axis opposes professionals, whose work requires a university degree, to other self-employed. The former tend to combine the advantages of a high level of education and experience, participation in the networks and a superior income, which allow them to purchase protection plans against social risks, especially health and disability insurance plans, professional training and individual pension plans. On the opposite end, non-professionals tend to have less experience, less participation in the networks, and a lower income; in general they do not acquire protection plans and rely on themselves and their families to address professional hazards and life’s hazards.

A cluster analysis helped identify six types, five of which were statistically differentiated:

• Non-professional independents who control their work but are lacking protection against risks;

• Small, dependant producers whose customers mainly control the work; these self-employed are not especially associated with a specific professional profile nor with a specific level of protection;

• Liberal professionals who mainly control their work but must deal with the intervention of outside forces in establishing pay rates and other contractual terms. Among the sample, they are the most protected against risks but have to pay for those protections;

• Advisors and consultants who are set apart by controlling the contractual modalities more than the average self-employed; they also pay for protections but in a lower proportion than liberal professionals;

• Other independents and those who combine self-employment and non-standard work forms (part-time, temporary or contract employment); they have a great deal in common with the members of the first group, but are more educated;

• A small group of professionals enjoying collective labour agreements, under which their clients share the cost of protection programs against certain social and professional risks.

The results of this research tend to support the hypothesis related to the heterogeneity of the own-account self-employment category, beyond the traditional dichotomies comparing qualified professionals controlling their work to non-professionals with little qualification and control. Incidentally, the results explain part of this diversity by the blurring of boundaries between the two polar forms of work, wage and salary vs. self-employment, as they have been legally defined. Indeed, a portion of own-account self-employed does not fully control its work while another part, smaller, does not bear all the risks linked to work.

Resumen

El presente artículo pretende describir y explicar la diversidad de situaciones cubiertas por la categoría jurídica de trabajador independiente (trabajador autónomo sin empleado). Utilizando las metodologías del análisis factorial de correspondencias múltiples y de la clasificación ascendente jerárquica, este artículo analiza la heterogeneidad dentro de una muestra de 293 trabajadores independientes, en torno de cinco dimensiones : las características de productor, la naturaleza de su clientela, el tipo de producto, la organización del trabajo (incluyendo la remuneración) y la protección contra los riesgos sociales y profesionales. Esto nos permite de despejar seis perfiles de trabajadores independientes : los independientes no profesionales, los pequeños productores independientes, los profesionales liberales, los consejeros y consultantes, los otros independientes y aquellos que acumulan trabajo independiente y salario atípico y, finalmente, los profesionales que benefician de acuerdos colectivos de trabajo. Se ilustra, por otro lado, que una parte de esta heterogeneidad es atribuíble al enturbiamiento de fronteras entre los modelos « puros » de asalariado y de independiente.