Havana, Mar 30, (RHC), – Since the self-employed initiative was expanded in October 2010 in Cuba, some 147 thousand 693 young people have choice that labor modality, which represents 29 percent of the total figure of over 489 thousand 929 Cubans in those activities since late February.

According to a Labor and Social Security Ministry´s report more than 144 500 of those youths are women, 81 thousand 215 are hired workers by business owners and 60 thousand 897 are originally retired persons, which evidences the popularity of the self-employment initiative.

Most of self-employees are located in the western provinces of Havana and Matanzas, in central Villa Clara and eastern Holguin and Santiago de Cuba, while most activities include catering, cargo and passenger transportation, house rentals, telecommunication agents and workers hired by owners of private restaurants and cafeterias.

Those in the area of telecommunications are involved in the promotion and sale of products and services provided by Cuba´s Telecommunications Company ETECSA, including prepaid cell phone and Internet cards and the payment by clients of their telephone bills.