Around 9% of freelance workers are forced into self-employment by circumstances, but the majority are thriving nonetheless, a new survey has found.

Most unwilling self-employed sole traders (zzp’ers) said they had started out on their own after their contract ended or they were unable to find a suitable job, while others said their employer had asked them to work on a casual basis.

However, 88% said they were happy with their working conditions and 75% planned to continue as freelancers. Unwilling zzp’ers were more likely to report financial concerns, with 36% saying their position was moderate or poor.

People working in technical, educational and language-based jobs, such as music teachers and editors, were most likely to swap full-time work for a solo career.

More positive motivations for going freelance included looking for fresh challenges, wanting more control over working hours and a better balance of work and leisure time.

The survey was carried out by labour market research agency TNO and the statistics office CBS.