Self-employment reaches record high

The Guardian's Angela Monaghan cites ONS figures which show self-employment in the UK is at its highest level since records began almost 40 years ago.  The proportion of the total workforce self-employed is 15% (4.6m people), compared with 13% in 2008, and 8.7% in 1975.  Frances O'Grady, the TUC general secretary said its "worrying that much of the recent increase is due, as the ONS says, to the limited opportunities for people to move out of self-employment".  Ms O'Grady continued "Self-employment appears to be a key factor in the UK economy's shift towards low-paid work.  Many people want to work for themselves.  But the growth in self-employment is reducing people's pay, job security and retirement income - and is likely to be reducing the government's tax take, too".