MetLife Study: 45 Million U.S. Gig Workers and 85% of them interested in Continuing as Gig Workers

MetLife recently released The Gig Economy: Opportunities, Challenges, and Employer Strategies. Key quote from the study press release:

The report’s findings demonstrate the fundamental impact gig work is having on the American workforce in the changing work-life world, as employees are increasingly drawn to the allure of flexibility, autonomy and desire for purpose in their work.

The study is well done and found, like almost every other study of independent work, that the independent workforce (freelancers, self-employed, gig workers, etc.) is large and most independent workers want to continue as independent workers.

Key quote from the study report:

Today, almost 30 million Americans get their primary income from gig work, constituting nearly a fifth of the total workforce. An additional 15 million workers supplement “traditional” full-time work with “gigging/freelancing.” This number keeps growing, as many of the best and brightest workers turn to gig for their primary employment.

Another key quote is on why people like independent work:

“Our research shows that workers are turning to gig in the pursuit of creating the ultimate work-life blend where their careers meet income needs, provide a flexible schedule, and also give them a sense of purpose”

At this point, we think we've reported on well over 100 studies showing that the independent workforce is large and most independent workers are satisfied with being independent.

These studies have come from a wide variety of sources - government agencies, academics, think tanks, consulting firms, and companies. 

And despite the roughly 14 years we've been researching the independent workforce, we are not aware of a single, reputable study not showing that the independent workforce is large and most independent workers are satisfied with being independent.

So, you may ask, why are we bothering to repeat ourselves and report on these results?

The reason is we regularly read in the press and have people tell us the independent workforce is small and most independent workers would prefer a traditional job.

This despite the overwhelming evidence this isn't true. 

So we'll keep pointing to these studies until this changes.

from Small Business Labs https://ift.tt/2no9Tx4
via https://ifttt.com/ IFTTT