The history of umbrella employment in Sweden

Umbrella employment has existed in Sweden since the late 1990s, when the first umbrella companies were founded in response to freelancers' need to invoice without their own business. Today there are around ten major players in the market, among them Paidin, founded in 2015, and the model is used by hundreds of thousands of Swedes.

Self-employment was born in the 1990s

The ability to invoice without a company emerged in Sweden in the late 1990s as a response to a growing need among freelancers and consultants. Today it is an established solution for hundreds of thousands of Swedes.

One of the first umbrella companies in the Swedish market was founded in 1999, and since then the industry has grown to a dozen players with different pricing models and terms.

Rapid growth in the 2000s

During the 2000s, the market grew steadily. Increasing numbers of consultants, creatives, and IT professionals needed a flexible solution to invoice for assignments without starting their own company. It quickly became standard in many industries.

Today there are around 10 major umbrella companies in the Swedish market, all offering similar services with different focuses and fee models, among them Paidin, founded in 2015.

Invoicing without a company and the modern job market

With the growth of the gig economy and more people working flexibly, the ability to invoice without a company has become even more relevant. It is now completely normal to:

• Take multiple assignments from different clients
• Work both as an employee and invoice without a company simultaneously
• Switch between different forms of work throughout the year

According to current statistics, hundreds of thousands of Swedes invoice without a company through self-employment, from established consultants to new creatives just starting out.

Today

Invoicing without a company through self-employment is now an established and completely legal model. It is regulated by Swedish law and authorities, and a recognized way of working in the modern job market: flexible, simple, and professional.