Feeling down at work on Blue Monday? Freelancing could be the answer
Research from IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) ahead of Blue Monday, shows freelancers are overwhelmingly happy with self-employment. Three out of four (77%) freelancers said they were happy with working for themselves, while just five per cent said they were unhappy. This is compared to 69 per cent across the entire workforce.[1]
IPSE’s research also found that people are going into freelancing for positive reasons, including having greater flexibility (88% said this was a factor), the freedom to choose where they work (83%), when they work (84%) and having a better work-life balance. By contrast, just one in five (19%) said losing their job was a factor.
Chloé Jepps, Head of Research at IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), said: “There’s a reason the number of freelancers in the UK has shot up by 47 per cent in the last ten years: as this research shows, the freedom and flexibility of freelancing can be a real boost to happiness and work satisfaction.
“From this, it’s clear that not only are people going freelance for overwhelmingly positive reasons like getting a better work-life balance; they are also significantly happier working for themselves. Freelancing isn’t necessarily the answer for everyone, but if you’re reconsidering your job situation on Blue Monday, it might be worth thinking about working for yourself.”
[1] CIPD UK Working Lives report 2019, p52
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