UK workforce index.

Unveiling the impact of freelancers on the UK labour market

Fiverr presents its 2024 UK Workforce Index as the UK workforce continues evolving at lightning speed. For the second year running, Fiverr has conducted research of 2,000 freelancers, business leaders, and knowledge workers, to gain a deeper understanding of the UK workforce landscape and the role of freelancers within it. Compared to 2023, we observed an increase in the number of freelancers working within companies and a widespread AI skill gap among the workforce.

Download The UK Workforce Index

Some key findings:

The average UK company’s workforce in May 2024 vs May 2023

55%

Full-time employees

-5%

since 2023*

23%

Part-time employees

+9%

since 2023*

22%

Freelancers

+5%

since 2023*

Mind the Skill Gap

Top 3 skills missing in UK businesses surveyed:

Skill gap
34%.

More than ⅓ of business leaders surveyed said the main barrier for full-time hires is the incorrect skill set

34%.

More than ⅓ of freelancers surveyed, impacted by the higher cost of living, are learning new skills to expand their portfolio to earn more

59%.

of freelancers surveyed upskilled in the past 12 months, the % rises among Gen Z (77%) and Millennials (65%)

AI’s Crucial Role For Businesses

AI is the no.1 skill missing in companies surveyed

18%.

Almost ⅕ of business leaders and knowledge workers surveyed said they use freelancers who have AI skills they do not yet have in their organisation

83%.

of business leaders and knowledge workers would be willing to pay more AI-skilled workers

Future-Proofing The Freelance Industry With AI

3.4hr

The time saved per day by freelancers thanks to AI, that grows to 4 among Gen Zers

AI skills freelancers are learning:

AI Skills
32%

Almost ⅓ of freelance respondents said their work is not likely to be affected by these technologies

26%

More than 1/4 of freelance respondents said these technologies will complement their work and will be more secure

41%

Of business leaders surveyed found difficulties in hiring employees, especially for for low-skilled talent (38%) and high salary expectations (36%)

40%

Of respondents companies work with freelancers to support staff workloads

15hr.
a week

Time saved on average by business leaders and knowledge workers surveyed working with freelancers

35%

Of respondents companies work with freelancers for flexible working hours 

32%

Of respondents companies work with freelancers to take advantage of specific skill sets that may not exist in their current team

£60K→
£100K 

Respondents in companies with more than £500,000 turnover are most likely to save £60,001-£100,000 per month by working with freelancers 

To download the full report,

press the link below

Download The UK Workforce Index