Band 6+: The graph below shows the percentage of self employed workers of the total workforce in five countries in 1998 and 2008. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The presented diagram delineates the percentage of self employed workers in the total workforce in five different countries in 1998 and 2008.

As is presented in the graph, while the percentage of Russia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic showcased an upward trend, the figures dropped in Greece and Turkey. Moreover, the percentage of self-employed workers in Turkey was the largest among all the above during the period.

In 1998, the numbers in Russia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic were 5%, 8%, and 11%, respectively. The percentage of self-employed workers saw an increase of around 2% in 2008. This trend was similar to that in the Czech Republic, with a deviation of 3%, from 11% in 1998 to 14% in 2008. Meanwhile, this proportion in Slovakia doubled during the period, from 6% in 1998 to 12% in 2008.

The percentage of self-employed workers in the total labor force in Greece in 1998 was 42%; however, this figure plummeted to around 5% in 2008. Turkey had the largest percentage of self-employed people, at around 56% of the workforce. However, this figure did decline significantly over the period to around 38% in 2008.