The self-employed database contains almost exhaustively the persons affiliated with a social protection (or welfare) scheme for self-employed workers: the social scheme for self-employed persons (RSI), the scheme for liberal professions via the Urssaf or the agricultural scheme via the Agricultural Social Mutuality (MSA).
This field is complementary to that covered by the sources processing social declarations related to employees.
On the one hand, the non-employee database covers all independant workers in household market enterprises (including micro-entrepreneurs) and the majority managers (business owners) of limited liability companies (SARL, SELARL).
On the other hand, non-owner-operators of corporations (SARL), as well as operators of public limited companies (SA) or simplified joint stock companies (SAS), who are considered as employees regarding the social security schemes and therefore contribute to the employees' funds, are not covered.
Collaborating spouses and family workers are not included in the scope.
Some independent professions of the cultural sectors, such as artist-authors contributing to the Agessa, are also absent from statistical sources. In the absence of exploitable information, fishermen are excluded from the field.

For MSA data, joint and several contributors, working on an area less than half the minimum installation area (MIS), are excluded from the field.

For some activities, the social protection system depends on the geographical area: in particular, the activities of landscaping services and equestrian centres, agricultural and forestry work companies are covered by the MSA in metropolitan France and by Acoss in the French overseas departments.