
From the Independent Contractor Compliance and Misclassification Legal Blog, Richard J. Reibstein writes about a recent GAO report which indicates that 85% of independent contractors are content with their employment type. The report also says that independent contractors may make up as much as 10% of the U.S. workforce, and that independent contractors consider their fringe benefits to be good. Richard writes:
A comprehensive government report on the contingent workforce made public two days ago revealed surprising data about independent contractors, finding that 85% of independent contractors “appeared content with their employment type.” Perhaps even more unexpected is that significantly more independent contractors (57%) were “very satisfied” with their jobs than those who held standard full-time employment (45%). These and other statistical conclusions, which seem to counter viewpoints expressed by many legislators, government regulators, and commentators that wish to curtail the use of independent contractor arrangements in favor of employment relationships, were contained in a report released to the public two days ago by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, non-partisan governmental agency.
The report, entitled “Contingent Workforce: Size, Characteristics, Earnings, and Benefits”, was issued on April 20, 2014 and made public 30 days later on May 20, 2015. It analyzes all types of contingent workers, from employees who work for temporary agencies to independent contractors and self-employed workers. The report includes a number of specific empirical conclusions that focus on independent contractors, as discussed below:
Read the full story at New GAO Report on Contingent Workforce Shows 85% of Independent Contractors Are “Content with Their Employment Type”