2018 review: number of highly skilled freelancers rose by 47 per cent between 2008 and 2018 \u2022 Driven by 63 per cent rise in highly skilled female freelancers in this period \u2022 Both drove 35 per cent increase in UK\u2019s total solo self-employed \u2022 The solo self-employed sector contributed \u00a3275bn to the economy in 2018.<\/p>\n

The freelance workforce in the UK \u00a0is made up of solo self-employed people working in the top three highest skilled occupational categories (SOC1 to SOC3). These include managers and directors, professionals and associate\/technical professionals.<\/p>\n

There are currently over two million freelancers in the UK, 1.81 million of whom say freelancing is their main job. A further 222,000 say they do freelance work as part of a second job. Overall, freelancers account for 46 per cent of the 4.4 million-strong solo self-employed population and represent six per cent of the entire UK workforce. In the last 10 years, the freelance sector has seen a 47 per cent increase, while in the last year it grew by a further one per cent.<\/p>\n

The top 5 occupations accounts for almost 50% of all freelancers. The top five occupations are artistic, literary and media occupations (16%), managers and proprietors in other services (10%), functional managers and directors (7%), teaching and educational professionals (7%) and information technology and telecommunication professionals (6%). This is a similar pattern to previous years with 45 per cent of all freelancers working in these professions.<\/p>\n

The UK Government is recognising the contribution of the self-employment sector and has placed a strong emphasis on self-employment in its \u2018Good Work Plan\u2019 in response to the Taylor review, which sets out a package of workplace reforms over the next 20 years to meet the changing world of employment. These include legislation around sick pay and maternity and paternity leave as well as tackling non-payment. Self-employment continues to be at the centre of political debates, and it is therefore of crucial importance that we fully understand this growing sector of modern work.<\/p>\n

About the report<\/h2>\n

This is the tenth year of IPSE\u2019s reports with Kingston University examining the freelance sector. The reports draw on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS). This tenth anniversary report has a broader scope and looks at the entire solo self-employed sector, comparing it to trends in the rapidly growing freelance sector. It also takes a longer view, analysing the key changes and trends over the last decade.<\/p>\n