Britain’s freelancer and contracting industry is booming like never before. This is not just a very good news for the contractors but also a big boost to the UK economy.
There are approximately 4.25 million self-employed professionals working in the UK as on 2024. Out of which, the number of self-employed working full-time is 2.87 million and the number of self-employed working part-time is 1.38 million.
The number of self-employed professionals in the UK has almost doubled when compared with 2018 figures when the total number of self-employed professionals was at 2.2 million.
There were 28.64 million people working as employees, while a further 4.25 million were self-employed.
The number of self-employed workers fell following the start of the pandemic and, remained around 700,000 below pandemic levels in January to March 2024. As per ONS, in the year December 2023, there was an increase in the number of people working in the public sector, but there was a decrease in the private sector.
At the same time, the number of people working full-time has increased, but there has been a decrease in the number of people working part-time.
It is estimated that the overall contribution to the UK economy by freelancing professionals is around £150 billion. It is also worth noting that self-employment has witnessed a fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the end of 2019, the total number of self-employed professionals reached a peak of 5 million, and by 2024, it went down to 4.25mn.
Let’s have a look at the top locations for contracting in the UK for Freelancers and Contractors:
Now, let’s have a look at the key projects and opportunities for UK contractors and freelancers:
Which are the top industries where self-employment growth is expected:
Which are the skills in demand in the contracting industry:
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