Dive Brief:
- Intuit’s annual “Dispatches from the New Economy: The On-Demand Workforce” study found that the 3.9 million people working in the U.S. on-demand economy want flexibility while finding a way to earn long-term income, according to a company statement.
- The study shows that on-demand work is used to supplement current income, fill variable income, construct a sustainable future and generate satisfying work.
- The average on-demand worker in the study earned 24% of household income through on-demand work. Under half (41%) hold traditional half- or full-time jobs. Additionally, 41% of respondents experienced financial hardship — job loss, illness or an unexpected financial dilemma — within the past year.
Dive Insight:
On-demand workers make up the gig economy; they’re a group of independent contractors, freelancers, temporary workers and consultants that is fast becoming the largest segment of workers in the nation.
Randstad, the HR service and staffing company, previously ran a study showing that most workers (70%) and employers (68%) think gig or on-demand workers will dominate the workplace by 2025. The Workplace 2025 report also notes a shift away from the traditional 9 to 5 job.
The emergence of temporary work poses a challenging future to the HR firms tasked with managing such employees. Recently, companies like Uber have faced legal challenges brought forth by drivers who claim they're not just app users, but employees of the company deserving full-time benefits.
Even so, the gig market's explosive growth provides an interesting opportunity for recruiters, who can use temporary workers to bolster the amount of talent available in the pipeline.