A recent study from PeoplePerHour has revealed that around one in five freelancers (19 per cent) perform their self-employed work as a “side-hustle” alongside an employed role.
In research highlighting the impact of COVID-19, freelance jobs marketplace PeoplePerHour surveyed more than 1,000 self-employed people from a wide range of industries. The research found that, of the one in five freelancing as a side-hustle, 37 per cent had started their self-employed work within the last year.
Furthermore, 24 per cent of those freelancers said they had begun freelancing in order to supplement their core income, illustrating the effect of the pandemic on earnings.
While the freelancers surveyed may have taken on self-employed work in order to boost their earnings during the pandemic, 98 per cent said they planned to continue working on some kind of self-employed basis in the future. 13 per cent said they hoped to become full-time freelancers, 22 per cent wanted to continue freelancing on a part-time basis and 33 per cent wanted to continue juggling freelance and employed work.
Commenting on the research, IPSE Director of Policy Andy Chamberlain said: “There has been a remarkable increase in the number of people working a freelance side-hustle. This seems to be a function of the additional time many employees have got out of the pandemic – whether because they have been furloughed, unable to work their normal jobs or simply because they are no longer losing time to the daily commute.”
“For some, of course, this trend reflects the need for additional income because of the financial hit of the pandemic. For others, it seems likely this is a positive trend: that they have been able to use their extra time – and the flexibility of freelancing – to explore hobbies and passions and turn them into added income.”
PeoplePerHour founder Xenios Thrasyvoulou said: “Just like the Bank Crisis before it, the pandemic has proven to be a powerful catalyst for people to reassess their work lives. Whether this is through freelancing full-time or supplementing their employment with a side-hustle, British workers are exploring the best way to take control of what they earn.”
Author: Steven English
30.04.2020
