Between 2020 and 2023, the number of independent workers (freelancers, gig workers, independent contractors, solopreneurs, etc.) increased 91%, growing from 13.6 million in 2020 to 26 million in 2023.
This is stunningly faster than the 2011-2019 growth rate, which was about 2% per year.
This data comes from the 2023 MBO Partners State of Independence study series - the 13th year of this study.
And making this growth surge even more interesting, 2023 is the first year in the study that the number of full-time independents grew faster than the number of part-timers.
In 2023, the number of full-time independents increased by 20%, with part-timers rising by about 8%.
There are several reasons for the step change in the growth of full-time independents:
- Labor shortages and the need for skills are giving workers more leverage. Workers are seeking the greater levels of work/life balance associated with independent work.
- Companies face skills and labor shortages and want to increase their talent flexibility and agility. These factors are leading to greater demand for full-time independent workers.
- Technology is encouraging and enabling the growth of independent workers, making it easier to start and operate successfully as an independent worker.
The combination of these results in more people becoming full-time independent workers. It also leads more workers with side gigs and other part-time independent work to become full-time independents.
Twenty-six million independent workers is roughly equivalent to about 16% of the U.S. workforce. And while the number of part-timers is still larger - 46.1 million in 2023 - these numbers mean working full-time as an independent is mainstream.
We work with MBO Partners on this study.