It’s National Freelancers Day – and we’re celebrating the huge contribution they make to construction

Today (June 17) is National Freelancers Day, IPSE’s biggest event of the year and a celebration of self-employment. The event will focus on how changes to the economy, business practices and legislation will affect freelancers.

Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “The self-employed should be celebrated – they make up the most highly skilled and productive pool of resource in the construction industry and they enjoy financial rewards in return for taking the risk of going it alone.

“Contrary to the view that sees them as exploited ‘gig economy’ workers, skilled freelancers earn a substantial premium to equivalent employees, a fact illustrated in Hudson’s monthly pay trends reports.

“Firms using highly skilled subbies as and when needed limit their risk, enhance their return on investment and boost output, making significant savings on labour costs per project.

“Extensive research by Professor Andrew Burke of the Centre for Research on Self-Employment shows legitimate freelancing is pivotal in promoting economic growth in the construction industry.

“We hope the importance of this contribution is understood and appreciated at a policy-making level as the research shows the absence of the self-employed would have highly negative economic consequences, especially at a time when the government is relying on our sector to help Britain build back better.”