At IPSE we strive to understand the sector as much as possible through our research programme. Each year we conduct research with Kingston University to understand the demographics of both the overall solo self-employed sector and the highly skilled subset of freelancers. Through this research we also look at changes from the previous year and since 2008, when we released our first report.
In addition to our annual research we also run projects to understand why so many people are choosing to go freelance, how they work and where they work. You can find all of our reports looking at the who, the why and the how of self-employment in the sections below.
There was a 5% drop in self-employment between 2019 and 2020
The solo self-employed contributed an estimated £316 billion to the UK economy in 2020
The number of self-employed men has dropped by 7% since 2019
The key reasons people go freelance are for the flexibility (88%) and control over work (88%) it offers.
The report examines the impact of the changes to IR35 across the self-employment sector by evaluating how engagements have changed since the introduction of the reforms, how companies are making status determinations and the impact that the changes have had on freelancers and their incomes. The report also explores levels of satisfaction for those now working through umbrella companies on a range of different aspects and highlights some of the areas for concern.
The report examines how concerns have changed in light of the pandemic and IR35 reforms and what further support and benefits freelancers now require to make a success of their businesses. It also reviews the extent to which freelancers feel supported by the UK government and concludes with a series of recommendations on how government and industry can better support the sector.
This report examines the impact of the pandemic, over a year on from its onset, on freelancers’ businesses and income whilst also reviewing the approaches taken by freelancers to mitigate against the pandemic and their plans for the future. The report also focuses on how the pandemic and gaps in economic support have influenced freelancers' attitudes towards government.
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As we enter the next stage of the government's roadmap out of lockdown, we examine the impact that the lifting of restrictions has had on freelancers. This report also seeks to understand how long freelancers predict it will take before their businesses are operating at pre-pandemic levels and what concerns they have as they start to rebuild.
This new report looks at the demographic and occupational trends of the solo self-employed sector in the UK in 2020 with a focus on highly skilled freelancers. It highlights some of the key changes over the last year and since 2008. The report was developed using data from the Labour Force Survey extracted by Kingston University.
Last year's report looks at the demographic and occupational trends of the solo self-employed sector in the UK in 2019 with a focus on highly skilled freelancers. It highlights some of the key changes between 2018 and 2019 and since 2008. The report was developed using data from the Labour Force Survey extracted by Kingston University.
‘What makes a freelancer?’ explores some of the key reasons that the UK population are increasingly turning to freelancing. It also highlights some of the challenges they encounter in self-employment and the areas where freelancers need more support.