Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements

The US Bureau of the Census conducts a monthly Current Population Survey of approximately 60,000 American households about their employment. About 5.9 million individuals – 3.8% of the American labor force – hold contingent jobs; that is, they do not expect their positions to last a year or more. Contingent workers have no implied or specific contracts for their continued employment. People in this group are twice as likely, compared to those with conventional jobs, to be younger than 25. They typically earn less than their counterparts in traditional occupations and are 50% less likely to have employer-provided health insurance...