More than two thirds of Brits are considering quitting their job to go freelance.
This research was collated by Fiverr, an online freelancer marketplace, who found that 67 per cent of Brits are thinking of quitting their job to go in to freelancing.
The main reasons given as to why people wanted to make a move from an office to freelancing were flexible hours (74 per cent), the ability to be their own boss (64 per cent) and the choice to work wherever they want (58 per cent).
The collated data also found that 80 per cent of millennials say they are no longer interested in working in an office when it comes to choosing a career. The survey further revealed that these workers who desire more flexibility, coined Generation Flex, instead prefer the choice to work from home or in a co-working space.
Despite this growing trend towards freelance, over half of UK businesses (56 per cent) are failing to take advantage of this, with only one in five businesses saying that they are ‘definitely’ open to using them.
Andrew Way, UK country head at Fiverr, said:
According to IPSE, the freelance market contributes £100 billion annually to the UK economy. Our data sheds light on a new generation of workers who are either already benefiting from, or considering, the freedom and autonomy that freelancing presents. However, it’s clear that there’s more to be done to educate businesses of all sizes about the benefits of harnessing digital freelancers. The benefits of working with digital freelancers are numerous – from the immediate exposure to top tier talent – which means experienced freelancers waste no time to hit the ground running on work – flexible hours, and crucially, cost saving.
The research in the article was compiled by Fiverr and was based on interviews with 1500 ‘white-collar workers’.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
