More than half of UK adults no longer trust large companies to give them the job security they require.

According to Workology.com and Populus, three out of five employees would rather pursue self-employment as a way of controlling the way they work.

The study shows that 53% of men trust large companies as employers, compared with 42% of women. Among the baby-boomer generation - which has experienced several recessions - 56% have lost confidence in large organisations.

Sam Gyimah, founder of Workology.com, said: "We are in a transitional age where trust in the workplace is moving away from established but impersonal institutions towards more personal and less formal relationships."