IPSE hails record self-employment – especially among women
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) has responded to today’s employment figures showing the continued strength of the UK labour market. IPSE particularly highlighted the role the rising number of self-employed played in the figures.
The new labour market figures show that 32.1 million people are now in work in the UK – a rise of 94,000 from May 2017. A large factor behind this is the growth in the number of self-employed people by 70,000, taking the UK total to a record 4.86 million. They now make up 15.1% of the UK workforce.
Tom Purvis, IPSE economic policy adviser, said:
“Today’s employment figures show the UK labour market is going from strength to strength – in no small part because of the growing number of people taking the leap into self-employment.
“Nor is it just the self-employed in general who are driving the UK’s high employment figures – it’s particularly self-employed women. In fact, out of the 94,000 more people in work – both employed and self-employed – 78,000 are women. Self-employment is giving more and more women the chance to work flexibly, which is especially welcome to recent mothers.
“Overall, these figures show just how important the self-employed have become to our labour market. The flexibility they provide will be absolutely essential to sustaining a successful economy after Brexit.”
