The Office for National Statistics recorded a “record annual decrease in self-employed workers” in an update last October, which said there were “4.56 million self-employed people (14.0% of all people in employment)” in the UK – “240,000 fewer than the previous quarter”. A report by the Inquiry into the Future of Self-Employment, which is backed by the Federation of Small Businesses and the trade unions Prospect and Community, says in a survey of more than 2,200 self-employed workers, 46% said they were less likely to continue in self-employment due to their experience in the pandemic. Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said: “This pandemic has exposed the precarious nature of the UK’s self-employed workforce, with too many people risking too much to pursue their careers. “At the upcoming Budget we’ll outline the next stages of our Plan for Jobs to support businesses and families across the UK. “That has been our priority throughout the past year and it will be the priority for the year to come.”

Source: Daily Mirror February 12, 2021 00:02 UTC