The opportunities for self-employed individuals are multifaceted and can be put down to growth potential in emerging markets and sectors and the impact of emerging technologies. According to the ONS, the UK has seen a large rise in the number of self-employed workers - approximately 4.33 million individuals, which is a hefty 13% of the workforce. This suggests that the freelance landscape is robust and diverse, with opportunities spanning across various sectors like construction, professional services and healthcare.
The advancement of technology has also massively helped to expand the scope of self-employment. The internet is your proverbial oyster, allowing individuals to offer their services globally and thrive in fields that tend to be in metropolitan cities. Plus, with so many options, the self-employed can more easily tap into emerging markets and sectors that experience significant growth when at their most profitable. For instance, there have been continual rises in demand in sectors such as information and communications as well as professional services, which indicates a need for specialised knowledge and skills that don't require you to be in the office.
A breakdown of sex by location
This interactive map shows the percentage of men in self employment across UK postcode areas. Hover over a region to see detailed population statistics including male and female percentage breakdowns.
Key
Percentage of men in self employment
| 55% - 57% | |
| 58% - 60% | |
| 61% - 63% | |
| 64% - 66% | |
| 67% - 69% | |
| 70% - 72% | |
| 73% - 75% | |
| 76% - 100% |
We looked at data from the 2021 census to find out insights into how the different sexes are represented among self-employed or freelance individuals without employees across upper-tier local authority districts in England & Wales. Notably, the data reveals a significant difference among self-employed individuals. In some areas, such as Luton, there is a clear male dominance among the self-employed population, with percentages ranging from 79% male and 21% female. Barking and Dagenham and Havering follow closely, with small percentages of 25% and 26% self-employed females, respectively.
In fact, in no district on our list is there a completely equal divide between the sexes, let alone women leading the charge. The only area that came close was Kensington and Chelsea, as there is a more balanced distribution, with 51% male and 49% female. This is flanked by Richmond upon Thames, Camden and Hackney, each with 45% self-employed females.
These variations suggest that the factors influencing self-employment participation may differ between regions. For example, it's not surprising that London boroughs are more equal as the city has a more diverse mix of industries. Plus, it benefits from a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem like stronger support networks, mentorship programmes and business communities, along with a likelihood for easier access to resources.
Best places in the UK to be self-employed
Working from the office five days a week is no longer the norm and it's one of the biggest draws of the freelance and self-employed lifestyle. With more people opting for autonomy and flexibility in their working lives, understanding the factors that contribute to a productive and plentiful environment for freelancers is important before setting up shop. That's why we compared 49 locations across five key metrics, including the number of freelance jobs available for every 10,000 people in a given population, the percentage of those roles paying over #40,000, full fibre coverage, train connectivity and number of cafes and pubs with free Wi-Fi for every 10,000 people in a given population, to find out where the best place is to begin your self-employment journey.
Exeter emerged as the highest-ranking location for self-employed people in the UK. It came out on top for the number of freelance jobs per 10,000 people in the area and the Southwest city also ranked well for the number of free Wi-Fi workspaces.
Leeds was the second-best ranking city in the UK for freelancers, and although this location didn't rank number one for any single factors, it scored well for the number of train stations and the number of free Wi-Fi workspaces. This is a similar story for the third-highest ranking city, which was also in Yorkshire, Wakefield. This location ranked fourth for the number of freelance jobs and ninth for train connectivity.
Heading north seems like a good option for freelancers, with six out of the top 10 cities all located in northern England or Scotland.
Top 10 UK cities for freelancers
| Rank | Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter |
| 2 | Leeds |
| 3 | Wakefield |
| 4 | Manchester |
| 5 | Aberdeen |
| 6 | Edinburgh |
| 7 | Bristol |
| 7 | Brighton |
| 9 | Milton Keynes |
| 10 | Liverpool |
If making as much money as possible is your focus as a freelancer or self-employed person, Portsmouth is the place to be, as it scored first place as having the highest percentage of jobs paying more than #40,000. According to the ONS, #40,000 is the benchmark of high-paying salary. Out of all the freelance roles advertised in Portsmouth, 70% offered a salary above #40,000. This was followed by Walsall with 67% and Blackpool with 64%.
You can view the full rankings for each location by clicking here
This article is for information purposes only and should not be solely relied upon when making important personal or business decisions and that the reader should always consult an appropriately qualified professional.
Self-employment in the UK is characterised by both challenges and opportunities and is a dynamic environment for freelancers to navigate. While financial instability, limited access to benefits and rising living costs remain significant hurdles for many, there are plenty of growth opportunities and many Brits have been seizing them.
As a freelancer or self-employed person, working to navigate these challenges, and importantly leverage growth opportunities, it is essential to prioritise risk management and protection in the long run.
But what is public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance can be crucial safeguards, offering financial protection against unforeseen liabilities and legal claims. Public liability insurance covers businesses against allegations of personal injury and property damage claims made by members of the public. Professional indemnity insurance protects against claims of negligence or errors in professional services.
By investing in comprehensive insurance coverage and adopting strategic initiatives to tackle the challenges identified in this report, freelancers can safeguard their businesses and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
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Methodology
We constructed the freelance index investigating the best spots to be a freelancer in the UK. This was achieved by ranking 49 UK cities against five factors to determine which location would be best for a freelancer. The factors and how the data was collected can be found below:
Freelance jobs per 10k: Searched for "freelance" in job search on Indeed for each specific location. Then calculated the number of freelance jobs for every 10,000 people in a given population. Source: Indeed
Percentage of freelance jobs paying more than £40,000: Searched for "freelance" in job search on Calculated the percentage of freelance jobs paying more than £40k out of all freelance jobs in each location. Source: Indeed
Full Fibre coverage ranking: Took the full fibre speed for each location. Source: https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/councils
Train Connectivity Ranked the cities by how many train stations they had. Source: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1924/ad-hoc-station-car-parking.csv
Free Wi-Fi Workspaces: The survey was conducted using Censuswide and included 500 self-employed workers, freelancers, or sole traders in the UK in January.
According to the ONS, high-pay employees are those earning anything above 1.5 times £15.88, which is £23.82, at 35 hours per week that is £41,532.40 per year, which was rounded down to £40,000 for the study to suit the salary filters on Indeed. Source:
Data for the analysis of self-employment in the UK by sector and sex was from the ONS, comparing the 2022 and 2023 releases of EMP14: Employees and self-employed by industry found here.
ONS data in this study has been adapted from data from the Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.1.0.
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