A record number of employees working a side gig has made the move towards becoming full-time freelancers over the past twenty years, new figures show.
In 2018, virtually 30% of those who declared themselves part-time freelancers, or independents, made their complementary activity a full-time job, according to figures by human resources group Acerta.
The conversion rate is the highest one in the past 20 years according to the group's survey of 140,000 workers registered as freelancers in Belgium, according to reports by La Dernière Heure.
"The proportion [of those going full-time] reached 29.8% in 2018, the highest rate recorded since 1999," Acerta representative Nadine Morren said in a statement, adding that October figures pointed to a cementing trend, with 28.15% of part-time independents gone full-time so far.
Additionally, the survey also showed that part-time independent workers were going full-time at a quicker rate after getting set up, as usual three to four-year lapse before they made the move contracted.
The new figures suggest a growing dynamism in the freelance market, which slumped in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, with a large portion of registered independents choosing to keep their freelance activity as a side gig, complementing their day jobs.
The survey also suggested that workers who start a freelance activity early in their careers are more likely to turn it into their full-time job, with 40% of independents who started freelancing before turning 20 gone full-time so far.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
