Over 120.000 “autonomos” (self-employed workers) have stopped their business in Spain, since the beginning of 2009, according to the president of the National Federation of Self-employed Workers in Spain, Lorenzo Amor.

The figure is even more shocking when including the number of those that closed shop since the beginning of the crisis. Since July 2007, over 300,000 self-employed workers closed their businesses in Spain.

Spain counts with over 3 million self-employed workers, a sector which represents around 80 per cent of the business force in Spain.

In September alone, 7,431 entrepreneurs closed shop, leaving a total of 124,316 since the beginning of the year. In 2008, a total of 176,818 closed shop.

The self-employed business form has seen 17 consecutive months of drops.

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