Survey among self-employed persons in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. wave 2020.

In spring 2020, DIW Berlin, ZEW Mannheim, and the University of Trier conducted an online survey among self-employed persons to collect data on the situation of the self-employed in Germany at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was disseminated in cooperation with the Verband der Gründer und Selbstständigen Deutschland (VGSD) e.V. and other professional associations.

The questionnaire included 51 questions and focused on the following topics:
- the self-employed's affectedness by the pandemic and by government containment measures
- financial situation during the pandemic
- application to government support programs
- business strategies to overcome the crisis
- assessments of the future
- sociodemographic characteristics
- business-related characteristics

In total, 27,262 interviews were collected.