Facts and figures on freelancing
18/09/2008 send to a friend
Yesterday I boarded HMS Belfast not for its launch in to the choppy waters of the Thames but for the launch of some research carried out by the Professional Contractors Group on the size and scope of the freelance community in the UK. There were some interesting results.
Disclaimer before launch
Before disclosing the figures, John Kitching of Kingston University (the man who undertook the research) explained that:
"estimates of the size of the freelance workforce vary with the definition of freelance status adopted and the data sources used to derive them. Estimates should be treated with caution in so far as they rely on data sources that have been created for other purposes and are known subject to error."
With this preamble from the skipper over, we were ready to set sail...
- LFS (Labour Force Survey) data suggest the freelance workforce comprises approx 3 1/4 million people in its broadest estimate
- BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) suggests the freelance workforce is somewhere closer to 4 million people. This includes the 3.77 million self-employed owner managers, plus 100-200,000 owner directors in companies with multiple directors and no non-owning employees, and the 40-250,000 individuals estimated to be working under PAYE umbrella arrangements
Still with me?
- Taking a broad definition of the freelance workforce, businesses without employees generated an estimated £222 billion in sales during 2006
- The most popular occupations amongst freelancers are:
- Artistic & literary occupations
- Service industries
- Teaching professionals
- Media associates
- Buisness & finance professionals
and the list goes on.
It's all interesting stuff as it shows the freelance community in the UK (that is, in the main, home based) is large and growing.
We'll be incorporating this research into our own 2008 Home Business Report that's being launched during BT's Small Business Week. It's packed with information on home business over the past 12 months, plus profiles of home business owners from across the UK.
In the meantime, I'm back on dry land and ready to report for home business duty! - Emma Jones
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Comments
Author: Nicola (jump-pr.co.uk)
Date: 18/09/2008
Comment: Makes interesting reading, and glad to know I'll never be lonely out there in the freelance PR world!
Also interested to see that up to 250,000 may be operating under PAYE umbrellas (i.e. self-employed but also 'employed' under the secure umbrella of a specially set-up company). That's what I'm doing - great hassle-free way to manage my finances.
Website: www.jump-pr.co.uk