In good times and in bad : immigrants, self-employment and social insurances

This thesis analyses self-employment, sickness absence and early retirement pension among immigrants in Sweden. The empirical analysis investigate a period, 1981-2003, characterized by a transformation from high employment and expansion of the welfare state in the 1980s into a state with high unemployment and tightening social insurance systems during in the 1990s. This thesis shows that self-employment decision is influenced by local labour market conditions. Interestingly, the mechanism seems