From The Hill, Gene Zaino argues that the government should promote the independent workforce and small businesses. Gene writes:
Politicians and the media alike should take note – the independent population is large and growing fast. Over the past five years, the independent workforce has grown more than five times faster than traditional employment, and there is no evidence that this growth will slow down as the job market recovers from the recession. In fact, the contingent workforce is projected to reach 45% of the private, non-farm workforce by 2020.
The government must enable the independent workforce to promote small businesses and job growth in the future of work. There’s no doubt that the current system has room for improvement—companies that hire independent workers face uncertainty in how to properly classify this category, workers are unsure how to access benefits, and the government, as currently set up, has difficulty sizing and defining the independent population. Companies stepping in to serve the independent workforce are a start, but the fact remains that America’s regulatory and tax systems are set up for a post-World War II economy based on traditional employment. Our political leaders must recognize this structural change and discuss how they will promote the growth potential that a robust independent workforce can unleash.
Read the full story at Unleash the independent workforce: The hidden engine of small business growth
