Accessibility Tools

Skip to main content

In Spite of Government Efforts to Limit Independent Contractors, Record Numbers Turn to Gig Work

Written on .

It is well known that numerous government agencies have an agenda to classify all workers as employees, instead of as independent contractors.  There are numerous reasons for this approach, one being that independent contractors do not have the protections of the employment laws, and cannot form unions, and the government may feel it has more difficulties collecting taxes from independent contractors.  In any event, in spite of these government efforts, 2023 surveys indicate that more than one-third of America's workers, an all-time high of sixty-four million people, do freelance or gig work.  A press release by Up Work stated that: "An increasing number of Americans are seeking greater flexibility, autonomy and earning power."

This article is part of our January 2024 Newsletter. 

View newsletter online

Download the newsletter as a PDF

Get Email Updates

Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below.
promo graphic, Navigating the New Legal Minefield of Automated HR
Artificial Intelligence is changing how businesses hire, manage, and evaluate employees—but it is also creating a new frontier for employme…
stopwatch
In FLSA Opinion Letter 2026-1, the Department of Labor (DOL) addressed whether an employer may reclassify an exempt worker from salaried ex…
gavel, courtroom
In a recent ruling by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, the court stated that hostile remarks about other minorities could…
paper books
On January 22, 2026, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted 2-1 to rescind its Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the…
round table
Reports indicate that the new Chief Executive Officer of Walmart, John Furner, in his first company-wide memo since taking over, said he ha…
handshake
When employers attempt to settle disputes involving employment, the circumstances vary greatly as to the formality.  Most employers will no…