More than half of freelance creatives are reporting increased stress and anxiety compared to last year, with reduced budgets, longer hours and the rise of unpaid work all hitting a workforce which is often described as “the lifeblood of the industry”.
So says a new survey by The Accountancy Partnership, which quizzed new 1,060 freelancers to determine the reality of being self-employed in the creative industry in 2026.
Over half (50.2%) blame rising stress levels on clients cutting budgets, whereas over two-thirds (36.2%) blame the rise in household bills and over a quarter (26.4%) claim tax admin is hurting their business.
Working longer hours followed at 14.3%, with a further 14.5% saying that they have had to take lower-paid work than normal just to ensure that the income keeps coming in.
However, a whopping 4 in 5 (80%) of creative freelancers are regularly working unpaid hours, a quarter of these (24.7%) work more than 10 unpaid hours each week.
A huge concern is that nearly half (47.2%) of creative freelancers believe that unpaid work is expected in the industry, with over a quarter (27.1%) saying that it is becoming a more common expectation from clients.
When it comes to why businesses lose clients altogether, a third of creatives (32.5%) cited clients simply running out of budget as the single biggest reason. However, pricing fees followed, with nearly a quarter (23.8%) of respondents, and 1 in 5 (19.9%) say market saturation is the single biggest reason for losing clients.
Sadly, only a sixth (12.6%) of freelancers are feeling secure about their finances over the next year. Confidence around hitting profits is shaky too, with a third (36.4%) not feeling confident about matching or beating last year’s profit.
When it comes to the rise of AI, 40% of respondents expect AI and automation to negatively impact the creative industry over the next five years, with only 22.6% seeing it as an opportunity.
The Accountancy Partnership managing director Lee Murphy said: “The data tells a story that a lot of freelancers will recognise immediately and sadly it is one that’s a bit too close to home for a lot of people in the industry.
“The freedom of being self-employed is valued, although it doesn’t come without its consequences: unpaid hours, tightening client budgets and increased tax admin.
“Creative freelancers and small business owners need better support, fairer rates and a bit more financial security in 2026 to feel a bit more settled. The amount of stress being reported in the industry compared to last year is clearly on the rise, and this isn’t something to just gloss over.”
The study backs a Perfect Storm report, “The Freelance Landscape”, published earlier this year, which called on agencies to provide greater support for the sector, revealing that all too often trust is being eroded by “increased ghosting, speculative work and even the theft of ideas”.
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