The state of independent workforce and impact on coworking demand (2012)

This 2012 slide deck presented findings from an independent-worker study conducted by Emergent Research with MBO Partners and Rockbridge Associates. The research used 1,144 screening surveys to estimate the size of the U.S. independent workforce and 601 surveys of independent workers to examine motivations and characteristics. It defined independent workers as people aged 21 or older who worked independently for at least 15 hours per week, including freelancers, contractors, temporary workers, fixed-term contractors, on-call workers and the self-employed. The deck estimated that this group comprised 16 million U.S. workers and divided it into expert workers and other workers. It also cited broader estimates for self-employment and freelance work in the European Union and compared companies’ use of contingent labour in the United States and Europe. Survey results covered employment choice, attitudes toward independent work, work satisfaction and future career plans. The presentation reported that autonomy, meaningful work and flexibility were important motivations, while most respondents were satisfied with independent work and intended to remain independent. It forecast more than 20 million U.S. independent workers in 2013 and argued that this growth would increase demand for flexible workplaces offering infrastructure, training, social interaction, networking and collaboration.

Key findings

• The study estimated 16 million U.S. independent workers aged 21 or older who worked independently for at least 15 hours per week.
• Among 601 independent workers, 58% were very satisfied with their work, 36% were neutral and 6% were very dissatisfied.
• Among all respondents, 63% planned to continue as independent workers and 12% planned to build larger businesses.

Presented by Carolyn Ockels and Steve King, Emergent Research, at Coworking Europe 2012