Das Einkommen der Selbständigen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Abstract

Gross income from entrepreneurial activity and property is here broken down into its components in order that incomes of self-employed persons as well as the disposable net income of self-employed households can be calculated. In addition to a breakdown of the macroeconomic aggregate, a breakdown according to main economic sectors was also carried out. Gross income from entrepreneurial activity and property has nearly doubled in the past decade. Incomes of private households derived from monetary assets and rents and leasing have risen sharply. Income from private business activity (functional incomes) grew less rapidly. Profits ploughed back increased slowly; own financing resources and depreciation, however, reached levels double those of ten years ago. Drawings of self-employed persons from their business nearly doubled in the same period. These withdrawals were always greatest in manufacturing business. The share of private services increased; income development in trade and transport was subaverage (attributable to the unfavorable profit situation of public transportation). Agriculture and forestry was outdistanced by the other sectors. A result of the continual process of concentration in the area of entrepreneurial activity, "marginal business" have been ceasing operation. Nearly one fifth of the increase in average withdrawals for private consumption and savings can be attributed to this economic concentration. Personal income of self-employed persons, as well as the income of self-employed households have doubled since 1960. Onefourth the growth in average income of a self-employed household can be credited to economic concentration. A considerable difference exists between the income levels of the employed and self-employed household: ln 1970, the disposable income of the employed-person household was only half that of the self-employed household.