The "gig economy" of freelancers and short-term workers comprises a big chunk of America's labor force, but it may not be growing as much as you think. People who did not expect their work to last very long — or "contingent" workers — amounted to 3.8% of the workforce, down from 4.1% in 2005 and 4.9% in 1995. Other studies put out by companies and academics have guessed that the gig economy is much larger. Related: California ruling puts pressure on Uber, Lyft and other gig economy employersThe Bureau of Labor Statistics did ask four questions specifically about online "gig economy" platforms, and will release the results later in the fall. Although more contingent workers had health insurance coverage last year — 73%, up from 59% in 2005 — there's still a gap in benefits between those irregular workers and regular employees.

Source: CNN June 07, 2018 22:18 UTC