Should I stay or should I go: intentions to freelance across 16 countries

A substantial literature explores workers’ transitions into entrepreneurial business ownership, while freelance, on-demand self-employment, a distinct and increasingly prevalent mode of labour market participation, remains comparatively understudied. Using an original large survey conducted in 16 countries, we investigate the determinants of workers’ intentions to leave their main salaried job to engage in freelance, on-demand self-employment. We find that socio-demographic characteristics, job conditions, and behavioural traits are systematically associated with these intentions, though several patterns diverge from those documented in the entrepreneurship literature. A detailed heterogeneity analysis substantiates variation across occupations, task types, and individual characteristics. Workers in more vulnerable positions exhibit higher intentions to transition into freelance, on-demand self-employment, a form of work often associated with lower protection and higher income risk.