On my own: Number of Singapore’s freelancers blows up to 200,000

Changing employment standards push workers to go independent.

Figures from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower indicate the city-state has 170,000 own account workers. Including those who freelance on a part-time basis, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) estimates the freelancer pool at around 200,000 and expects the number to rise as shift in employment norms is propelling workers to consider self-employed setups.

NTUC supports freelancing as a viable and sustainable line of work but admits pursuing a career alone is not an easy job.

“Freelancers are individuals who often face difficulties and challenges on their own,” NTUC said.

At the Fair for Freelancers event that was held at Red Dot Design Museum, the labour movement encouraged workers who are not in any employer-employee relationship status to connect with a formal or informal group to help solve some of their back-end needs such as in the areas of accounting, marketing, legal, and working space among others.