Written by Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal

10 December 2025

2025: The Year of the Solopreneur — Why the World Is Going Freelance

Across the world, a profound shift is reshaping the labour landscape: professionals are leaving traditional employment at a historic rate to work independently. The rise of micro-entrepreneurs and solopreneurs is no longer a marginal trend but a structural transition observed in nearly every advanced economy. France records an unprecedented number of new independent workers, Canada reports a similar surge, the United States reaches a staggering 64 million freelancers, and the United Kingdom maintains steady growth despite uncertainty. The world is not experimenting with freelancing; it is pivoting toward it.

Traditional employment is no longer perceived as stable — and independence feels safer

It is an irony of our era: employment, once seen as the fortress of stability, is now perceived as fragile. Waves of layoffs, organisational restructuring, and the erosion of long-term career prospects have weakened the appeal of the classic employee model. Freelancing, in comparison, appears less risky precisely because it offers control: control over income, clients, workload, and professional direction.

This shift is not driven by enthusiasm alone but by disillusionment. Many professionals have realised that stability has become conditional, unpredictable, and often dependent on decisions that happen far beyond their influence. Becoming independent is therefore not simply a career move; it is a psychological realignment — a way to regain authorship over one’s trajectory.

In this transition, marketing consulting often plays a crucial role by helping new solopreneurs articulate their positioning, structure their offer and avoid entering the market with a vague or generic value proposition.

A cultural transformation: people want autonomy, not instruction

Freelancing is not only an economic shift; it is a cultural rebellion. A growing number of professionals no longer accept imposed schedules, environments they cannot control, or managerial layers that dilute meaning. They want autonomy, mastery and a direct connection between effort and reward. They refuse to be reduced to an interchangeable function in an opaque system.

The solopreneur chooses independence because it restores ownership — ownership of time, decisions, direction and professional identity. It reconnects work with intention instead of obligation. For many, this is not a lifestyle choice but a form of intellectual liberation.

A global market that opens opportunities — but raises the bar

Freelancing expands because demand expands. Companies increasingly prefer specialised, flexible, cost-efficient expertise rather than full-time hires. They want clear deliverables, agility and senior profiles accessible without long-term commitments. The rise of remote work, international collaboration and digital platforms reinforces the freelancing economy and removes geographical constraints.

But a larger market also means more competition. Visibility, strategic clarity and differentiation become essential. Many independents discover quickly that expertise alone is not enough; success requires a clear narrative, a defined structure and a coherent offer. This is where a strategic audit helps reveal strengths, blind spots and opportunities for positioning.

AI accelerates solopreneurs instead of replacing them

AI was supposed to make freelancers obsolete; instead, it makes them stronger. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini allow independents to produce faster, explore ideas more efficiently and operate with the effectiveness of a small team. AI amplifies capacity, not redundancy.

What AI does not replace is judgment. The more accessible AI becomes, the more differentiation relies on perspective, interpretation, strategic depth and the human ability to articulate value. The solopreneurs thriving in 2025 are those who pair AI’s efficiency with a distinct point of view.

Freelancing has become an economic engine, not an alternative

In 2025, freelancing is recognised as a pillar of economic dynamism: it absorbs market fluctuations, boosts innovation, accelerates projects and injects flexibility into organisations that struggle with rigidity. Governments observe the trend closely because an economy in which individuals can monetise their expertise independently is more resilient and adaptive.

Freelancing is no longer a fallback option. It is a competitive model, a growth driver and a legitimate professional architecture. The question for organisations is no longer “Why do people go freelance?” but “How can we integrate this talent ecosystem into our long-term strategy?”

The world is going freelance for rational reasons — economic, cultural and structural. And there is little indication that the movement will slow down.