LONDON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of self-employed people increased by nearly 10 percent since the economic crisis, British official data showed on Wednesday.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 367,000 more people were self employed in 2012 than that of 2008 when the crisis began. Self-employment represents 14 percent of the 29.4 million in employment in Britain.
The most commonly self-employed occupations are taxi drivers, farmers and construction workers. They are found to work longer hours than employees.
The data also showed the number employed by others fell over the period.
Union leaders said the self-employed figure suggested British labor market was "far weaker" than thought.
British unemployment figure kept dropping this year, with the unemployment rate standing at 7.7 percent during September to November.
Some experts aruge the falling unemployment rate, which was inconsistent with the negative growth of British GDP, is not sustainable.
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