Abstract
This article explores the urgent problem of the role of the self-employed population in the development of the national economy. An empirical review of foreign literature allowed the authors to identify the causes and consequences of self-employment of the population. Statistical comparative analysis was used to study trends in the structure of the workforce, as well as the main macroeconomic indicators of the republic. Based on the results, the authors attempted to investigate the potential impact of the self-employed on the socio-economic development of Kazakhstan and assess existing measures to regulate self-employment in the country.