In the broader public sector (including civil servants and employees in utilities) they have been smaller, reflecting the high job protection that civil servants enjoy, even several years into the crisis. The losses have also fallen disproportionately on the less educated and immigrants, as they tend to be employed in the hard hit cyclical industries, such as services and construction (NBG, 2012) (Figure 2.14). The self-employed have also been affected as many of their businesses have closed. Household real disposable income fell by around 30% between 2009 and 2012. Earnings from self-employment have also declined, given extensive business closures, but reliable data are more difficult to find (Matsaganis, 2012). Apart from the recession and fiscal consolidation (affecting mainly public sector employees), the decline in earnings among salaried workers has been influenced by the fast rise in individual wage contracts.