More Millennials Looking For Freelance Work Instead of Full Time Jobs

By April 18, 2018For Talent

When it comes to the working world, the 9-5 grind doesn’t always appeal to everyone.

In fact, new research has shown that more and more millennials are seeking out freelance work in order to be able to control their own schedule and achieve a better work-life balance (we can’t say we blame them).

According to the research conducted by MetLife, 57% of workers said they would be interested in taking a freelance role. This is a 6% increase on last year’s figures (51%).

Millennials were the age group most interested in contractual rather than full-time work. 74% said they were curious about freelancing compared to just 57% of Generation X and 43% of Baby Boomers.

It’s not all talk either. The study found that four out of every 10 millennials intend to leave their full-time employment to work as a freelancer in the next five years.

So why are millennials suddenly seeking out freelance careers? Well, the survey offers up a few reasons.

Freelance jobs are much more visible now than they were say 20 or even 10 years ago.

“I would say the concept and prevalence of freelance work is much more apparent to people,’’ explains Todd Katz, MetLife’s executive vice president of group benefits.“You can’t go anywhere without seeing Uber and Lyft, and I think people are asking themselves different questions about ‘how do I want to work?’ ’’

People are also placing a much greater emphasis on work-life balance. “They’re really looking for flexibility,” says Katz.

Workers want to have time off to go travelling or to look after their aging parents.

However, the study does highlight that there are some downsides to freelancing including financial uncertainty, loneliness and lack of benefits.

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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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