Why are almost all new self-employed workers foreigners?

BarcelonaOver the past year, Daria and Patricia have gone the other way. The former—a surgeon who arrived from Ukraine three years ago due to the Russian invasion—became self-employed so she could exchange her student visa for a temporary residency and now works as an emergency room doctor for private clinics: "I worked on a 20-hour contract for a family when they recognized my qualifications, which allowed me to balance my work and have total freedom." She is happy with this option and, for the moment, has no plans to return to working for someone else, although at some point she plans to take the MIR exams to open the door to public healthcare.

On the other hand, Patricia—who also recently became a mother—recently stopped being self-employed after eight years working on her brand of handmade notebooks and diaries. She was recommended to become self-employed to start, but she reports that during that time, she has mostly encountered "abusive" fees, bureaucratic obstacles, and problems with the Treasury. "They haven't wanted to justify the warehouse expenses or those related to my e-commerce," she explains. This situation has led to embargoes, and she complains that, despite being a young woman, she hasn't received any support to pursue her project. She closed the business despite making a profit, she says, because she couldn't stand the strain anymore. She now works for a company as an employee and, so far, has had a "very positive" experience. "I will never become self-employed again until the State progresses and stops being the economic drain that it is," she says.

With their cases, Daria and Patricia reflect how the profile of the newly self-employed has evolved in recent times. A report prepared by the ATA association based on data from Social Security affiliations explained this week how, over the past four years—from March 2021 to March 2025—the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA) has added a total of 108,155 self-employed workers, of whom 104,338 were 6-year-olds, 6.3% of whom were ... while those of Spanish origin (who represent 80%) have fallen by 1%, and those born outside the State have shot up by almost 30%.

The Confederation of Self-Employed Workers of Catalonia (CTAC), affiliated with the UGT (Catalan Confederation of Self-Employed Workers), emphasizes that immigrant entrepreneurship continues to gain ground "as a driver of self-employment and a fundamental tool for social and economic inclusion." Thus, self-employment has become a means of establishing a foothold and obtaining administrative regularization for many newly arrived workers who have chosen this option to enter the labor market. According to data collected by this entity, in March 2025, there were 566,464 people registered as self-employed workers in Catalonia, of whom 102,783 were of foreign origin, representing 18% of the total. The number of self-employed workers has increased by 87% in the last decade, with an additional 47,897 registered workers compared to ten years ago.

"When the labor market is functioning, for example, people with the ability to find work tend to prefer salaried employment, but this can be more complicated for newcomers," notes Daniel Garcia, president of CTAC. As an organization, they are authorized by the Ministry of Labor to prepare reports certifying the existence of a business plan for applying for temporary residence and self-employment permits for immigrants. "There is an upward trend in inquiries," confirms Garcia.

Loss of influence in the labor market

According to data from the Spanish Social Security Institute (EPA) for the first quarter of this year, self-employed workers represent nearly 15% of the total employed population in Spain. However, although the total number of self-employed workers has grown over the last ten years, their share has fallen by two percentage points during this time. "This happens when the base expands because we don't grow proportionally to other groups. On the other hand, in bad times we tend to grow more because companies adjust their workforces," explains Elisabet Bach, president of Pimec Autónomos (Self-Employed Workers' Union). In her opinion, this decline is also explained by activities that lack generational relevance to continue their businesses, such as commerce or agriculture.

This aging of the self-employed population is also reflected in the numbers of those registered with the Social Security RETA (Taxpayer's Insurance Scheme). The 25- to 29-year-old segment has shrunk by almost 6% in the last ten years, while those between 30 and 34 have fallen by 16%. In contrast, the number of self-employed workers between 45 and 49 has increased by 9%, and those between 50 and 54 have grown by 17%. "There is a perception that self-employment is not as desirable among young people," explains Albert Ferrer, head of Labor Market and Economy at the Catalan Workers' Commissions (CCOO). He also points out that the group is still predominantly male, with men representing 65%.