In the game of life, more people are eschewing the corporate ladder for flexible work arrangements. But it seems the board is getting crowded lately, which is leading some gig workers–and the companies that support them–to try to separate themselves from the rabble.
More than 55 million Americans work as independent contractors or moonlighters, according to the Freelancers Union, a figure that’s grown by 2 million over the last two years. While project-based work used to be most common among the recently laid off or those unable to nail down more permanent posts, it could soon be the main mode for a significant portion of the population. Short-term talent is in high demand. CareerBuilder’s 2017 forecast indicated that more than half of employers were seeking contract workers, a 47% increase from last year. More people seem likely to embrace freelancing than have already, in order to meet that demand. Intuit estimates that by 2020, 43% of the U.S. workforce will be freelance.
As the ranks of the gig economy swell, marketplaces are popping up to sift out top talent from a river of portfolios. Reedsy, a platform for connecting book writers with editors, designers, and publicists, allows only the publishing world’s elite to list their services on its site.