The Great Exodus From Employee to Freelancer [2022 and Beyond]
The pandemic initiated an exodus of employees leaving their jobs to pursue freelancing. Many lost their jobs and started to realize that if they had multiple clients and one bailed out, they would only lose a portion of their income instead of everything all at once.
Since the majority of people began working remotely, people became very comfortable with continuing to work from home, especially workers who had families, parents with kids, and even married couples. They began to enjoy having more time at home and they don’t want to go back, even though many companies are starting to call them back into the office. So, they have to make a decision: go back reluctantly and hate their job, or quit.
My prediction is that we’re going to see a mass exodus of employees leaving their jobs and turning to freelancing from now through 2022. I’m basing this prediction off many surveys and data that has been collected on what people want.
According to a recent Upwork research project, 10 million Americans are considering becoming freelancers. It’s being taken seriously now. Almost half of workers who were remote do not want to come back to the office, and some are even willing to take a pay cut to work remotely. This is ridiculous because the company actually saves money when their employees work at home. Furthermore, 35% of people who were working remotely during the pandemic would likely consider looking for another job if they have to go back to the office. That’s a huge loss for those companies. Working at home is one of the main reasons people are wanting to freelance, but of course, there are many more benefits than just that.
There have also been greater attacks on an individual’s freedom to work in an office. The focus is turning away from building the business and instead pushing political agendas. And employers do have a right to set whatever rules they want, but if the rules don’t jive with your beliefs, then you have a big choice to make. And we won’t get into any controversies regarding that, but if you are one of those employees that feel uncomfortable with what your company is doing, then you know what I’m talking about. But people are being asked to give up many freedoms to be an employee more than ever before and some are saying, “enough is enough.” The only way out is to freelance so that you can get total control over how you work.
Some companies are listening to their employees and allowing them to choose remote work over the office. Others have decided to go full remote indefinitely and close their offices. Those businesses are adapting to what people want and are making smart decisions. The ones who are holding onto old ways of working will lose. They are the ones who are pushing so many people to freelancing.
According to Upwork, 52% of workers planning to quit are considering freelancing. That’s huge. I’ve been freelancing for 6 years and I’m never going back. And I don’t only get to enjoy working at home and spending more time with my family, I get to work less and earn more. I only work 25 hours per week on average and I get enough income to comfortably support my family.
Gallup did some research that suggests that around 7% of the total workforce are considering becoming a freelancer. So, that’s around 10 million people.
As most businesses with a large workforce continue to push in the wrong direction, over the next year or two, we’re going to see a big increase in freelancers. There will be a max exodus. And that shouldn’t come as a loss to the companies. These companies can now hire these freelancers to replace the employee. They will save money hiring a freelancer, and the freelancer gets to retain the freedoms he or she wants. It’s not like they won’t have talent to turn to, the talent is just turning away from traditional employment.
And if you’re a parent, freelancing is by the far the best type of work. I talk about work/life balance and freelancing as a parent a lot in my podcast “Go Back To Bed,” so be sure to check that out. If you’re a single parent, freelancing is by far the best way to go. Imagine only having to get a babysitter for 20 hours per week while you freelance part-time earning enough money for your family. Imagine as a stay at home mom having your husband home every day, working 20-25 hours per week. Less burden on you when taking care of the kids!
Join the wave. Now is the time to get into freelancing. And don’t worry, you can create stable income through freelancing. I’ve done it and many others have done it, so keep tuning in for more tips on freelancing from home so you can create the life you want. Subscribe and I’ll see you next time!