autoemplearse

The standard verb for becoming self-employed / working for oneself, closely tied to the common noun autoempleo — frequent in economic and career contexts.

• Muchos jóvenes optan por autoemplearse ante la falta de trabajo. — Many young people choose to become self-employed given the lack of jobs.
• Autoemplearse implica asumir tus propios impuestos y seguridad social. — Becoming self-employed means handling your own taxes and social security.
• Se autoempleó como diseñadora gráfica freelance. — She became self-employed as a freelance graphic designer.

Not quite the same as the looser trabajar por cuenta propia — autoemplearse specifically frames it as the act of creating one's own job, often contrasted with searching for employment.

Often confused with emplear.