The US independent workforce — which includes consultants, freelancers, contractors, temporary and on-call workers — will rise to 47.6 million over the next five years, representing a 3.1% annual growth rate, according to MBO Partners’ new 2017 State of Independence in America report released today.

MBO Partners’ report also found independent workers generated roughly $1.2 trillion in revenue for the US economy last years, and the report identified three key trends this year:

• The number of high-earning independents rose for the sixth year in a row. Now, 3.2 million full-time independents make more than $100,000 annually, up 4.9% from 2016 and an annualized increase of more than 3% each year since 2011. This population now represents nearly one in five full-time independents.
• More Americans are seeking to supplement their income with part-time independent work or “side gigging.” Fueled in part by the growth of the increasing number of online platforms, the number of people working as occasional independents (those working irregularly or sporadically as independents but at least once per month) rose 23% to 12.9 million, up from 10.5 million in 2016.
• A strong job market has created a “barbell effect” on both sides of the independent work spectrum. Work opportunities are growing on both sides of the spectrum — both unskilled and skilled — creating a barbell effect. At the low end of the market, there is growing demand for online platform workers, such as Uber drivers or TaskRabbiters, who usually go independent to supplement income, learn new skills, or even to socialize in retirement. On the other end of the spectrum, the report found a strong rise in entrepreneurial independent professionals earning significant incomes by offering unique services in areas such as technology and marketing. In the middle of the spectrum, the independent population has largely remained the same size.

“While we continue to see differences in attitudes between the different groups of independent workers, the population generally reports that independent work — and the independent lifestyle — is a satisfying way of building income and obtaining greater freedom, control and purpose,” said Gene Zaino, CEO of MBO Partners. “The very structure of work in America is evolving, and the demand for skilled independents will only increase as companies look to become more agile and flexible in the future.”

MBO Partners provides back-office services for independent consultants and contractor management services for companies. For the 2017 study, an online survey was conducted by Emergent Research and Rockbridge Associates in March of 2017. This survey had responses from 3,008 adult residents of the US.