The number of self-employed people are at a record low due to the Middle East respiratory syndrome and the economic recession, data showed Monday.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of self-employed businesspeople for the first half of this year was 3.98 million, a decrease of 107,000 people compared to the same period last year.

This is the lowest number since 1995, when there were 3.97 million self-employed businesspeople.

Those who were hit the worst were owners of manufacturing and food industries, which have easy entry but are easily dominated by retail chains and corporate businesses.

Experts note that self-employed businesspeople had a harder time staying afloat due to the continued recession and MERS outbreak.