Opportunities for the self-employed

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 dont require you to be in the office.

A breakdown of sex by location

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, its 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 its 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. Thats 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 didnt 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

Rank	Location	Freelance Jobs	% Freelance Jobs over #40k	Full Fibre Coverage	Train Connectivity	Free Wi-Fi Workspace
1	Exeter	1	14%	25	15	8
2	Leeds	20	30%	10	6	9
3	Wakefield	4	31%	14	9	18
4	Manchester	13	22%	27	10	7
5	Aberdeen	26	7%	8	32	10
6	Edinburgh	35	12%	23	13	2
7	Bristol	24	17%	24	11	15
8	Brighton	16	10%	47	17	1
9	Milton Keynes	9	38%	4	19	24
10	Liverpool	31	26%	29	4	6
11	Stockport	7	47%	32	6	5
12	Reading	21	8%	9	32	28
12	Plymouth	11	5%	45	21	16
14	Glasgow	36	27%	20	2	14
15	Southampton	10	13%	37	17	26
15	Newcastle-upon-Tyne	5	35%	22	37	4
17	Cardiff	23	40%	28	5	11
18	Coventry	29	9%	3	24	44
18	Portsmouth	27	38%	2	37	19
18	Walsall	3	2%	39	27	38
21	Salford	39	23%	26	13	17
22	Southend-on-Sea	48	24%	5	15	29
23	Peterborough	14	19%	7	42	41
23	Preston	2	33%	43	42	3
25	Huddersfield	47	21%	15	19	23
26	Northampton	25	16%	6	42	37
27	Blackpool	30	3%	46	27	21
27	Warrington	18	34%	34	21	20
29	Bradford	43	4%	31	8	42
30	London	49	11%	35	1	34
31	Swindon	19	15%	12	42	45
32	Bournemouth	17	29%	40	37	12
33	Oldham	6	44%	13	42	32
34	Sheffield	42	37%	11	21	27
35	Norwich	4	32%	33	42	25
35	Belfast	40	49%	2	27	22
37	Nottingham	15	36%	41	37	13
38	Leicester	34	18%	18	42	36
38	Birmingham	46	28%	36	3	35
40	Derby	22	39%	17	32	40
41	Bolton	32	41%	42	11	30
42	Wolverhampton	37	25%	21	37	39
43	Kingston upon Hull	44	46%	1	42	33
43	Middlesbrough	41	6%	48	24	47
45	Slough	38	43%	16	27	50
46	Gateshead	12	45%	50	27	43
47	Stoke-on-Trent	33	20%	49	32	48
48	Luton	45	42%	30	32	49
49	Sunderland	28	48%	44	42	46

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