The bar chart compares the proportion of self employed workers of the total workforce in five countries in 1998 and 2008. Overall, the percentage in 1998 was lower than in 2008 in the initial three countries — the Russian republic, Slovakia and the Czech republic — while the last two countries experienced the opposite trend. Despite the noticeable decrease, these two countries still recorded the highest self-employment rates in both years.
In 1998, almost 60% of the workers in Turkey were self-employed, but this figure declined sharply to about 38% in 2008. Greece also experienced a decrease, from around 42% to roughly one-fifth.
In contrast, the Russian republic, Slovakia and the Czech republic all witnessed growth. The Russian republic rose from about 5% to just 7%, while the Czech republic climbed from around 11% to almost 15%. Slovakia doubled from about 6% to nearly 12%, showing the largest growth among the three.