Official reports find Londoners in temporary work have hit record highs, following news that the UK job market is at its lowest in almost a decade.
The London Standard reported the figures fluctuate, but the 269,000 total is close to a 21-year record high, having only been above this level in the year to June 2025, at 274,000 and 270,000 in the 12 months to December 2022 after the Covid pandemic.
Mind you, these are just London figures, the country’s workforce epicentre and financial capital.
Out of the latest total, the news source reported, “72,000 say they are doing temporary work as they have not been able to find a permanent post, 20,000 more than in the year to June 2024.”
In the Standard, Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride was quoted,
Temporary work has its place, but when rising numbers of Londoners say they cannot find a permanent job, it points to deeper economic failure – as a result of Labour’s choices.
Michelle Baltrusitis, freelance platform Fiverr’s Associate Director of Community and Social Impact, told The Freelance Informer, the UK job market is in its most challenging position in nearly a decade:
As permanent roles continue to disappear, more workers are being pushed toward temporary and flexible work — not by choice, but by necessity. In an economy this uncertain, relying on a single paycheck no longer feels secure.”
For Londoners in particular, the pressure is even more acute. With rent costs soaring and competition for jobs intensifying, workers are diversifying their income streams to reduce financial risk. Freelancing allows people to back themselves, spread that risk, and build resilience in an increasingly fragile labour market.
For Gen Z, this shift isn’t about rejecting traditional work — it’s about protecting themselves. Seventy percent say having multiple income streams is essential, and more than half feel the old model of work no longer provides real stability.
Baltrusitis added, “What was once seen as a side hustle is fast becoming a survival strategy. As more young people enter an unstable job market, this shift will only accelerate. Employers who cling to rigid career models risk losing talent to more flexible, modern ways of working.”
Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, reflected on the number of people on zero-hour contracts and how the numbers continue to reach near record levels.
“There are now 1.2 million people on zero-hour contracts, the second highest on record,” said Florisson in a statement.
The increase in zero-hour contracts may be partly seasonal and appears largely driven by women, and young workers aged 16-24 year olds. There are now 508,000 young workers aged 16-24 on zero-hour contracts – the highest level on record.
–Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University
Florisson suggested this continued rise in the use of zero-hour contracts comes at a time when the labour market is weakening and employers are facing rising costs.
While many readers have chosen the freelancer path, how will the flood of newcomers change the freelance economy? Is this good or bad?
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