In 2017, 40.9 million Americans chose to work as independent contractors – about one third of the total U.S. workforce. By and large, these independent professionals work this way because they choose to do so. Their contributions – both to the workforce at large and to the American economy – are significant, about $1.2 trillion dollars each year.
This number, both in terms of size and economic importance, is predicted to rise significantly in the coming months and years, thanks in part to changes in the U.S. tax code at the end of 2017 that makes it financially advantageous for many professionals to go independent.
