Contingent workers are disproportionately likely to be young and female, but have levels of educational attainment similar to traditional workers. The services industry accounts for more than half of the total number of contingent workers, and the construction industry accounts for a further 10 to12 percent. The conventional wisdom that contingent workers represent upwards of 25 percent of the work force is clearly wrong. The vast majority of workers in alternative work arrangements prefer those arrangements to traditional full-time employment. Those who seek greater protection of such workers under the NLRA or other employment statutes risk creating significant problems for this large group of workers who do not prefer full-time, traditional employment arrangements.
Most employees are in stable, long-term employment relationships.
In sum, much of the concern over non-traditional employment arrangements is misplaced. Independent contractors, most of whom are self-employed, are a relatively stable part of the workforce, and almost all view their employment situation as positive. Temporaries constitute a much smaller, but growing share of the workforce, and are less likely to view their employment arrangement as ideal. But most temporaries become full-time employees within a year. For most employees, alternate employment arrangements provide positive opportunities and workplace flexibility.