Many workers considering going freelance

According to a new survey, as many as 39% of Brits say they have considered joining the self-employed sector.

The YouGov research questioned 1,000 Brits about their attitudes towards freelancing – a staggering 72% of full-time employees said that they believe the self-employed contribution made to the UK economy and society is either fairly or very positive.

Looking at individual sectors, those working in media, marketing, advertising, PR and sales (57%) and construction (47%) were the most likely to have considered self-employment.

The reasons given for wanting to become self-employed included:

• Flexibility (cited by 49%)
• Being their own boss (48%)
• Improved work-life balance (48%)

Derek Cribb, CEO at IPSE, said, “After 11 years of continuous growth, the number of self-employed workers has fallen dramatically, decreasing by 800,000 individuals since 2019.

“While many commentators worried that numbers of self-employed workers might continue to fall post-pandemic, today’s research clearly shows that freelancing is back! Brits are still keen to pursue freelancing, with a significant number thinking about swapping their full-time job for the dynamism, freedom and creativity of self-employment.”

To find out more about contracting please contact Sophie on 01206 591 000 or email sophie.lewis@contractoumbrella.com.