Survey says these are the best things about freelancing

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

MORE THAN HALF (52%) OF FREELANCE WORKERS BELIEVE THEY’LL BE OPTING OUT OF CORPORATE JOBS UNTIL THEY RETIRE, A NEW STUDY SHOWS.

A RECENT SURVEY OF 2,000 GIG WORKERS CONDUCTED BY ONEPOLL ON BEHALF OF EVERLY FOUND THAT THREE IN FOUR (75%) ARE CONFIDENT THEIR ONGOING GIG WILL HELP THEM REACH THEIR RETIREMENT SAVINGS GOAL.

ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER (74%) ARE ALSO SAVING DIFFERENTLY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND RECESSION. 

FREELANCERS ARE SPENDING OR SAVING ON MENTAL HEALTH DAYS (42%) AND LIFE INSURANCE (37%) OVER BUYING OR RENTING A CAR (27%) AND TRAVEL (25%).

THE AVERAGE FREELANCER AIMS TO RETIRE AT 58 YEARS OLD AND ANTICIPATES NEEDING $353,063 FOR RETIREMENT. 

BEST THINGS ABOUT FREELANCING

• Freedom to choose the projects I want to work on - 43%
• Flexible hours - 41%
• Being my own boss - 40%
• Flexible location - 39%
• More room for creativity - 38%
• Not having to worry about unpaid overtime - 35%

WORST THINGS ABOUT FREELANCING

• Difficulty building vacation time into my schedule - 42%
• Clients that don’t always pay or pay on time - 40%
• Paying for health benefits - 38%
• Difficulty finding regular gigs - 37%
• Doing my taxes - 36%
• Feelings of isolation - 34%

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 freelancers was commissioned by Everly, LLC between August 26 and August 31, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).