IPSE: Government-led chaos hits freelancers
- 3 Jun 2019
New figures from the UK’s freelancers show a drop of over £4,000 (£4,302) in average quarterly earnings. Freelancers place the blame squarely on government policy.
Freelancers said confusion over Brexit (59%) and the government’s fiscal policy (55%) were doing most to harm their businesses. Three quarters of them (74%) also expect their business costs to rise in the next year.
The figures are from a survey taken at the end of March, as part of the IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) and PeoplePerHour quarterly freelancer Confidence Index.
Andy Chamberlain, IPSE’s Deputy Director of Policy, commented: “Freelancers are clearly extremely frustrated with this Conservative government’s chaotic management of Brexit and business. It should be a stark warning for the Tory leadership hopefuls.
“The ‘party of small business’ has done very little to understand or encourage the smallest firms or the future flexible workforce. Even beyond Brexit, we have seen only small steps on late payment, inertia on parental rights and outright hostility on tax.
“Freelancers are some of the most entrepreneurial and productive people in our economy and they are central to Britain’s business success, whatever happens with Brexit. The new Prime Minister must show the self-employed that they back modern working practices and this £275bn sector.”
Xenios Thrasyvoulou founder and CEO of PeoplePerHour comments: “It’s disheartening to hear from the freelance community just how little confidence they have in the coming quarter caused by a combination of Brexit factors and the government’s approach to their policies for freelancers and taxes.”
“The next leader needs to recognise the importance of freelancers to the UK economy and prioritise the fiscal policies that impact them.”
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