The Other Workforce

Those who have full-time jobs with salary and benefits generally represent the standard workforce.  This is the dominant workforce, which has been around since the Industrial Revolution.  There is another workforce that is often not recognized.  It’s the independent workforce represented by independent contractors, contract workers, freelancers, and the self-employed.  This workforce is often invisible.  What’s interesting is that the independent workforce represents nearly one-third of the total workforce.  According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, in 2005 independent workers represented 31 percent of the total workforce, or 42.6 million workers.  Since the share of the total workforce has remained relatively constant, the 2008 figure is estimated at more than 46 million.  This number is expected to grow in the next decades.