Freelancers believe the ‘pyjama-wearing’ label is the most common negative stereotype that they face, a new survey by Crunch Accounting has found.

The research involved 280 freelancers including IT consultants, writers and designers. Respondents were asked which was the most common stereotype they had encountered.

More than a third pointed to the ‘pyjama-wearer’ label. The next most common tag was “freelancing as an occupation for people who can’t find a job”, with 27 per cent considering this a common slur.

According to the research, the overwhelming majority felt they faced a career stigma, with three quarters saying they aren’t taken seriously by certain people.

Two in 10 thought people considered freelancing a stop-gap in their career while 17 per cent pointed to the belief that freelancers aren’t as reliable as agency workers.

Figures from the government show that single-person companies, or one-man bands, account for just under 15 per cent of the UK’s total workforce.

Darren Fell, managing director of Crunch Accounting , said: “One person businesses are contributing more than any other group to the UK's economic recovery and creating jobs.

But he added: “The wider business community has yet to wake up to this new way of working.”