Johnny Timpson: The 'gig economy' and the need for a financial safety net

The ‘gig economy' is a phrase we hear used more and more these days, and describes the increasing prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work in the UK employment market. In Britain today around 4.8m people, or approximately 15% of workers, are self-employed, having grown from 3.8m in 2008 [1]. This increase has been driven by modern technology, the growth of the service sector (especially online shopping), and the continued tax advantages of being a self-employed worker. This trend...