Ten most in demand self-employed trades revealed... including reformer pilates instructors as exercise trend booms

Returning to work after a summer break can be the catalyst for a career change. 

Many will dream about becoming their own boss, and analysis of government data has now revealed the ten most in-demand self-employed trades across Britain.

Business insurer Protectivity analysed Office for National Statistics figures on new job adverts data to reveal the roles that have seen the biggest growth over the last year.

Gym bunnies are in luck, as it found an 18 per cent surge in adverts for fitness instructors compared to this time last year - led by an astonishing rise in the number of businesses offering reformer pilates. 

Reformer pilates is a variation of the exercise regime which is currently exploding in popularity. It is performed on a sliding machine called a reformer. 

Reformer Pilates is so popular because it's sustainable and suits a wide range of people 

Protectivity's own data reveals the type of businesses which are expanding. 

Insurance policies taken out by firms offering reformer pilates classes increased by an astonishing 948 per cent in the past year. 

There was also strong growth in martial arts (up 167 per cent), kickboxing (up 159 per cent) and boxercise (up 135 per cent).

The data suggests that the fitness industry can't currently recruit instructors fast enough to meet demand, opening up an opportunity for anyone considering starting a business in the sector.

Projectivity analysed 400 jobs and narrowed the list to trades where at least half the workforce is self-employed.

What tops the list?

Driving instructors top the list of the most in-demand self-employed trades, with job adverts up 58 per cent in the past year. 

Persistent test-booking backlogs since the pandemic have driven demand for driving teachers, along with an ageing population of instructors and growing population of teenagers. 

This was followed by market and street traders ( up 48 per cent) and childminders (up 40 per cent).

Bricklayers, floorers, tilers and plasterers were also in high demand, as more homeowners choose to renovate rather than move.  

Self-employment on the rise

Britain's self-employed economy continues to grow. 

The number of sole traders increased by 5 per cent in the past year alone, rising 17 per cent since 2010. 

Small businesses now employ 16.9 million people and turn over £2.8trillion a year.

The appetite for going it alone is also showing up in online searches, with searches for 'register for self employment' up 36 per cent over the past quarter.

Chris Trotman, head of sales and underwriting at Protectivity, said: 'Our research shows that there's a genuine window of opportunity right now for people with the right skills to go it alone and find work waiting for them, across multiple industries, from bricklaying to floristry.

'Demand for fitness instructors in particular is growing at more than double the rate of new businesses entering the industry and in areas like reformer pilates, growth in new instructors setting up in the last year is outpacing almost anything we've seen before.'