26th May 2021

I wanted to get in touch with data quantifying the phenomenon of UK workers who, since the beginning of the pandemic, have gone from being furloughed to working as freelancers. 

With the introduction of the Job Retention Scheme in March 2020, which accounted for over 8.9 million UK workers at its peak, digital accountancy tool Bokio (www.bokio.co.uk) has surveyed those who had found themselves furloughed by their full-time employer and subsequently turned freelance.

This includes both those who went on to explore completely new pursuits, as well as those continuing in their chosen field but now working for themselves. 

 

The key findings are: 

 

·         60% of new freelancers had never considered turning freelance before being furloughed from a full-time job

 

·         53% believe that turning freelance has had a positive impact on their mental health, compared with 33% who believe it has a negative impact 

 

·         74% are glad they made the decision to turn freelance; while just 7% regret it 

 

·         60% expect to earn less in their first twelve months of turning freelance than they did whilst employed full-time

 

The full findings, as well as comment from Viktor Stensson, CEO and Co-Founder of Bokio, can be found in the attached release. Also included is a case study from Gemma Jones, a video editor who found herself furloughed in March 2020 and subsequently turned freelance.

Should you wish, I would be able to put you in touch with either party and can source other case studies if needed.