50% of employees plan to become freelancers in three years

While the number of independent talent has increased by 30% since 2008 (Statista, 2023), more and more French employees are interested in this status. Could it definitively replace wage employment in the years to come? In this article, discover the result of an exclusive survey conducted by Beager and the Viavoice polling institute.

Freelance, a status for all?

The uberization of the market is pushing more and more professionals to start their own business. Faced with the emergence of service platforms, some professionals joined the movement out of opportunity or necessity. Today, these freelancers face strong competition and are sometimes forced to lower their rates to get customers. For some, it is in reality a disguised wage since there is indeed a relationship of subordination. As a reminder, a self-employed person is autonomous in the management of his organization, in the choice of his customers and in the pricing of its services.

However, this trend does not concern all self-employed workers. A majority have expressly chosen this status because it is adapted to their profession and their life project.

The question that remains is whether all employees can become freelancers and whether certain activities encourage them to do so. According to the study carried out in collaboration with Viavoice, 1 out of 4 employees (26%) believe they have a job that can be done as a freelancer.

A figure that varies according to:

• the status of respondents: 37% for managers, 29% for employees in the private sector or 28% for intermediate professions,
• The age of the employee: 33% of employees between 25-34 years old have a job that can be done as a freelancer, compared to less than 26% for the rest of the respondents
• the size of the company: 39% for companies with - 10 employees and 29% for companies with 10 to 49 employees.

This can be explained for a variety of reasons: the typology of the profession, the sector of activity carried out or even the lack of knowledge of the freelance status. It would also be interesting to study this last point because, then, how can we explain that the youngest employees are more likely to believe that they can do their job as a freelancer or that the size of the employee's company influences this perception?

Are the French ready to take the plunge?

According to the results of the survey, French employees are looking favorably towards freelance status. In fact, half of those who can work as a freelancer plan to leave their job to become a freelancer, whether in the years to come or later in their careers. On the other hand, they are more likely to consider freelancing as an additional source of income.

Financial risks are indeed not the same and are handled differently depending on the generation. Employees under the age of 35 are generally more willing to make this choice (up to 75% are in favor of it, in order to generate additional income) than employees over 50. These figures reflect a reality of the labor market that cannot be ruled out: senior profiles are generally more penalized because they are talents that “cost” a lot. It is therefore logical that many of them prefer to maintain the financial security of their job.

Becoming a freelancer is therefore a choice whose pros and cons must be weighed. This status is not simply a way to earn additional income, it requires a strong entrepreneurial spirit and multidisciplinary knowledge to perpetuate one's business. The survey illustrates these issues well: 59% of respondents think they will become a freelancer at some point in their career (compared to 48% in the next two or more years). This enthusiasm is stronger among men (63%) and employees who are under 35 (74%).

Obstacles to overcome

Many French people, despite the attractiveness of the freelance status, do not yet dare to take the plunge. This is for several reasons: 63% of respondents fear losing the comfort of being an employee, some are afraid of have no income (60%) others the difficulty of administrative procedures (38%) and Loneliness.

In fact, being a freelancer requires different arrangements than a paid job: to be constantly proactive in looking for a mission, to deal with periods of downturns, to plan for prospecting and not for production, to ensure the administrative follow-up of their activity, etc. If employees have the advantage of being supervised by the company, freelancers must take care of these responsibilities themselves. These constraints cannot be dispensed with the main characteristic of the freelance status: being independent.

However, these fears are not left unanswered. Many services offer to support freelancers in their daily lives: putting them in contact with companies, administrative procedures, accounting follow-up, payroll, retirement, banking... All that remains is to provide them with the necessary resources in order to help them get started!

Nearly a quarter of employees in France believe that their job could be carried out as a freelancer, with variations depending on the status, age and size of the company. Among them: a large majority plan to become one at some point in their career but 48% plan to do so in just two or three years. There is no longer any doubt: freelancing is no longer an atypical career path, this change of status will be part of workers' career plans. Even if some fears remain, these will undoubtedly be resolved as soon as self-employment is better recognized and supported.

*Survey conducted in 2023 with the polling institute Viavoice, on a sample of 1000 people aged 18 or over.