--- title: "Record Numbers Turn to Gig Work Despite Government Efforts to Limit Independent Contractors" description: "Despite government efforts to reclassify independent contractors as employees, the gig economy is booming! Over 64 million Americans now freelance or do gig work, driven by the desire for control, flexibility, and higher earning potential." url: "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/government-limit-contractors-record-gig-workers" date: "2026-06-15T21:27:05+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # In Spite of Government Efforts to Limit Independent Contractors, Record Numbers Turn to Gig Work Written on January 05, 2024. *Tag(s):* [Contractor](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=64:contractor), [January 2024 Newsletter](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=140:january-2024-newsletter) 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. 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