A large global survey of more than 5,000 people exploring attitudes toward self-employment has revealed that Britons prefer traditional employment (working for a boss) to self-employment, more than in many other countries in the study. Interestingly, though, the majority of British people would still prefer to be self-employed (68.7% said so, compared with 31.3% who prefer to work for someone else).
The survey was conducted by Remitly Business, a cross-border payments provider for small businesses, analysing responses from people in 28 countries. It found that globally, nearly three-quarters of people would prefer self-employment over working for someone else. Key findings:
• Although the majority of Brits (68.7%) say they would like to be self-employed, the UK ranks sixth among countries with the highest share of people preferring traditional employment.
• This sentiment is shared by Australia and New Zealand, which rank first and second in preferring this career setup.
• On the other end of the scale, as many as 98% of people living in Kenya prefer being self-employed, more than any other country in the study.
• The reasons Brits like the sound of self-employment are the greater flexibility it offers to when and where they work (15.8%), followed by more independence and control over how they work (15.5%), and a better work-life balance (14.7%).
• Conversely, the reasons Britons would prefer working for a boss include greater job security and benefits such as pension and sick pay (15.49%), followed by lower financial risk (15.2%), and not wanting the responsibility of running a business (13.1%).
How do Britons feel about self-employment?
• None of the people who are currently self-employed regret making this decision. Just over a quarter (26.5%) say it was the best decision they ever made, with half saying it was worth it overall despite the challenges.
• Nearly half (48.8%) say they feel confident or very confident they have the skills and knowledge needed to become their own boss, but interestingly, only 16% say they would actually take the steps to make this a reality.
• Higher earning potential is the number one motivator for Brits to consider self-employment (21.8%). Still, nearly a quarter (23.8%) also said they would need to earn at least double their current income to consider it.
• Most Brits (two-thirds) agree that being self-employed is more stressful than working for someone else, and as many as 81% agree that the risks of being self-employed are underestimated.
• A huge number of Brits suggest that hustle culture puts too much pressure on people to always be working or earning more (77.1%), and that social media can make being self-employed seem more appealing than it actually is (80%).
Being your own boss has become one of the defining career aspirations of the modern workplace. May TikTok data showed that the hashtag #beyourownboss has racked up more than 730,000 posts, and nearly half of the world's working population is already self-employed in some form.
The countries that most want to be their own boss and the reasons behind it
Across the globe, nearly three-quarters of people say they would rather be their own boss than work for someone else. Kenya leads the global rankings of countries that most want to go it alone, with 98.0% saying they would prefer self-employment over traditional employment, followed by South Africa (92.7%) and Morocco (90.7%).
The top reasons for preferring self-employment are independence and control over how you work (cited by 72.7% of respondents), greater flexibility over when and where you work (68.7%), and a better work-life balance (60.3%). Notably, financial gain ranks only fifth (48.2%), suggesting that for most, the primary draw is agency rather than income.
There is also a strong appetite for international work, with 58.1% expressing interest. Of those, 36.4% would want a mix of local and international clients, 16% would aim to build a business operating across multiple countries, and 5.7% would focus mainly on international clients. In contrast, 36% say they would prioritise their home market exclusively.
Financial uncertainty is the biggest barrier to making the leap
Despite this widespread interest, just a third (33.3%) of respondents say they’re likely to take steps toward self-employment in the next 12 months. Financial concerns dominate their hesitations: more than half (56.5%) cite not having a stable income as their biggest worry, followed by finding enough work or clients (51.9%) and fear of failure (50.6%).
The financial bar is also high, as more than half of respondents would need to earn at least 1.5x their current salary before seriously considering self-employment, and around a fifth (22.9%) say they would need to at least double their income.
Australians top the global ranking of people happiest to work for someone else.
Social media is selling a fantasy when it comes to self-employment
There is also major scepticism about how self-employment is portrayed online. 84% of respondents agree that social media makes self-employment look more appealing than it actually is, while a similar number say hustle culture places too much pressure on people to be constantly working or earning.
The majority of respondents (78%) believe that most people underestimate the risks of self-employment, and 64% think the current economic climate makes it feel riskier than it used to.
