It may sound like a never-ending news story these days, but, once again, the figures that indicate more and more people are turning to self-employment. The latest news indicates that there are now 6.6% more people in self-employment than there were this time last year, which means that almost 15% of the UK’s workforce are now working as their own bosses. Unlike previous years, the demographic in terms of self-employed persons is now extremely wide as well; so much so, in fact, that it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify a ‘typical self-employed’ person.

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A Universally Popular Career

All ages are now turning to self-employment with equal alacrity, with recent graduates being a notable example that flies in the face of traditional views which suggest that ‘experienced’ workers tend to form the bulk of the workforce. Women are also beginning to adopt self-employment at far more regular intervals, with the levels of growth now being far more evident than those that are being seen among male self-employed persons. In particular, freelancing careers have been identified as an especially popular route to take, and that truth has just been celebrated very recently.

National Freelancers Day

November 19th saw the unfolding of National Freelancers Day throughout the UK. This event, ran by IPSE, celebrates the self-employed on a nationwide basis, and also acknowledges the important role that such persons play in terms of the country’s economy. This year, the focus was very much upon helping self-employed people tackle the many common issues that can blight otherwise promising careers, but there was also one other prominent part of the event that made the headlines too.

freelance

As we’ve mentioned, part of the purpose of National Freelancers Day is to demonstrate how integral self-employed work is to the country, and so a competition was held to determine a number of outstanding individuals who work in the self-employed world. These professionals were then able to hold an audience with the Prime Minister, David Cameron, at 10 Downing Street. The success stories from the chosen freelancers certainly impressed, and the generated publicity goes a long way towards championing self-employment to an even wider audience than it currently reaches.

As an IPSE Accredited Accountant, we support these events like this are held to both raise the profile of freelance work, and also to assist people to overcome some of the perceived drawbacks. Our team of contractor accountants are committed to this end themselves, offering a range of services that take all of the stress out of getting paid as a contractor. If you need some assistance in this respect we welcome you to get in touch. Even though National Freelancers Day is over, we’re always here to help, so call 0800 195 3750 or email webenquiry@icsuk.com if you’d like to find out more.