Vol. 54 No. 1 (2026): Published March 30, 2025

DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/26584956/2026/1/2088

Socioeconomic and legal risks faced by the self-employed

Relevance. Rapid growth of self-employment both globally and in the Russian Federation, where it became institutionalized with the introduction of a special tax regime. Despite this quantitative growth, this category of workers remains extremely vulnerable socioeconomically. Their legal status, which lies at the intersection of labor and civil law, does not provide adequate access to mandatory social insurance systems, giving rise to the risks of poverty, insecurity in case of illness, and instability of pension rights. A scientific understanding of these risks and the search for ways to minimize them are essential for the development of balanced public policy in the context of labor market transformation. Aim. To comprehensively analyze the socioeconomic and legal risks facing the self-employed in Russia, systematize their internal heterogeneity, and, based on this, develop proposals for improving their social protection mechanisms. Methodology. Application of a combination of general scientific and specific methods. This study utilized comparative legal analysis to compare the status of employees and the self-employed, as well as pension provision models across jurisdictions. Systematization and classification methods enabled the development of a multidimensional typology of the self-employed. A content analysis of scientific literature, regulatory acts, and official statistical data (Federal Tax Service, Rosstat) provided the empirical basis for drawing conclusions. Results. The author has developed and substantiated a multidimensional classification of the self-employed. The author identified and detailed a set of key socioeconomic risks, including lack of access to paid sick leave and unemployment benefits, as well as vulnerability in pension provision. A comparative analysis of international experience (using France, Germany, the UK, and other countries as examples) enabled the identification of a range of social protection models, from voluntary to mandatory. Based on this, the author reached a conclusion regarding the feasibility of implementing a hybrid model in Russia, which would, in particular, require platforms to pay insurance premiums for the self-employed workers they attract. This would harmonize the flexibility of this new form of employment with basic social guarantees.

For citation: Nekipelova D.V. Socioeconomic and legal risks faced by the self-employed. Journal of Wellbeing Technologies, 2026, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 248–262. https://doi.org/10.18799/26584956/2026/1/2088

Keywords:

self-employment, socioeconomic risks, legal status of the self-employed, pension provision, platform employment, hybrid model of social protection

Authors:

Daria V. Nekipelova

References:

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