about $1.27 trillion
About how much did U.S. freelancers earn in total in 2023?
Upwork says that's a 78% increase from $715 billion in 2014.
Source: Upwork, Freelance Forward 2023 (2023) investors.upwork.com
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By the government's stricter count, what share of U.S. workers were independent contractors in their main job in July 2023?
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80.3%
What share of U.S. independent contractors prefer their arrangement over a traditional job?
Only 8.3% said they would prefer a traditional work arrangement.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements (2023) bls.gov
11.5%
Among U.S. workers age 55 and over, what share were independent contractors in their main job?
Independent contracting rises with age: it was 6.9% for ages 25–54 and just 2.2% for ages 16–24.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements (2023) bls.gov
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