64 million
Americans did freelance work in 2023
Independent and freelance work has become a mainstream part of the U.S. labour market rather than a niche.
Freelance economyUpwork, Freelance Forward (2023)
Free resource
Late-Payment & Freelance-Economy Statistics
A citable hub of statistics on late payments, cash flow, and the growth of freelance work — each figure attributed to a named source and year. Copy a ready-made citation for any stat, or link straight to it.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Figures are reproduced as reported by the cited studies and may be revised in later editions. Always follow the source link to confirm the latest number and its exact definition before publishing. If you cite a statistic from this page, a link back is appreciated.
38%
of the U.S. workforce freelanced in 2023
More than a third of working Americans took on freelance work during the year, up sharply over the prior decade.
Freelance economyUpwork, Freelance Forward (2023)
$1.27 trillion
contributed to the U.S. economy by freelancers
Annual earnings from freelance work represent a substantial and growing share of national economic activity.
Freelance economyUpwork, Freelance Forward (2023)
72.1 million
independent workers in the U.S.
Counting full- and part-time independents, the population of self-employed workers has grown well beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Freelance economyMBO Partners, State of Independence (2023)
~50%
of B2B invoice value is paid late in many markets
Across surveyed regions, roughly half of the value of business-to-business invoices is settled after the due date.
Late paymentsAtradius, Payment Practices Barometer (2024)
1 in 4
EU business bankruptcies are linked to late payments
The European Commission has cited late payment as a factor behind a quarter of business insolvencies in the EU.
Late paymentsEuropean Commission (2023)
~50,000
UK small businesses close each year due to late payment
The Federation of Small Businesses has long estimated that late payment triggers tens of thousands of business closures annually.
Late paymentsFederation of Small Businesses (FSB) (2023)
~£2.5 billion
estimated annual cost to the UK economy from late-payment closures
Beyond individual firms, late payment carries a macroeconomic cost through lost businesses and jobs.
Late paymentsFederation of Small Businesses (FSB) (2023)
$17,500
average owed in unpaid invoices to a U.S. small business
56% of U.S. small businesses report being owed money on unpaid invoices, averaging about $17,500 each — working capital owners cannot use to pay staff, suppliers, or themselves.
Cash-flow impactIntuit QuickBooks — Small Business Late Payments Report (2025)
Top challenge
cash flow is a leading operational concern for U.S. small firms
In national surveys, managing cash flow and uneven revenue consistently ranks among the biggest challenges small employers report.
Cash-flow impactFederal Reserve, Small Business Credit Survey (2024)
Majority
of freelancers have experienced late or non-payment
Getting paid on time is one of the most commonly reported pain points among independent workers.
Cash-flow impactFreelancers Union (2023)
Hours each week
small-business owners spend on financial admin and invoicing
Time spent creating invoices, chasing payments, and reconciling accounts is unbillable time taken away from paid work.
Time & admin burdenIntuit QuickBooks (2022)
Net 30
remains the most common B2B payment term — yet many invoices settle later
Standard terms set an expectation, but average days-to-pay frequently runs well beyond the stated due date.
Time & admin burdenIndustry payment norm (Atradius) (2024)
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