According to a study by Intuit QuickBooks of 1,000 self-employed workers across the UK, 72 per cent of self-employed workers will cast their EU referendum vote according to personal or political preference, with just one in five (20 per cent) entering the ballot box with their business or career in mind.
Despite placing a personal choice before their business, the referendum remains high on the self-employed agenda and a huge majority (95 per cent) will make sure their voice is heard.
Their vote is currently evenly split with 41.9 per cent set to vote ‘remain’, 41.3 per cent voting ‘leave’ and 11.4 per cent still undecided.
Implications of the EU Referendum
Regardless of this even split, the clear majority (62 per cent) of self-employed workers admit to being concerned about the implications of the EU Referendum result on their future self-employed prospects, but most (57 per cent) believe that in times of economic uncertainty it is still more reliable to be self-employed, rather than working for a full-time employer.
In the event of a Brexit vote, 82 per cent would choose to remain self-employed, rather than trying to find work with an employer (18 per cent).
Just 14 per cent of self-employed workers have fully prepared their business for a ‘leave’ vote. A quarter (25 per cent) simply do not know how their work could be impacted, and four in ten (42 per cent) expect business to continue as usual.
Rich Preece, Europe VP and managing director of Intuit QuickBooks says that self-employed is the fastest-growing category of worker with nearly five million individuals across the UK.
‘Their opinions and votes will have a significant impact on the referendum outcome, whether they have made their decision based on personal or business reasons.
‘Whatever the outcome, we must make sure this important group has the information and tools they need to succeed.’
Further reading on Brexit
