Independent contractors accounted for 7.4 percent of total employment in February
2005, up from 6.4 percent in February 2001, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Get Your Report Now!In February 2005, there were about 10.3 million independent contractors. These
workers were more likely than workers in traditional work arrangements to be
age 35 and over (81 versus 64 percent), male (65 versus 52 percent), and white
(89 versus 82 percent). Thirty-six percent of independent contractors had at
least a bachelor's degree in February 2005, compared with 33 percent of workers
with traditional arrangements.
Independent contractors were more likely than those with traditional arrangements
to be in management, business, and financial operations occupations; sales and
related occupations; and construction and extraction occupations
Fewer than 1 in 10 independent contractors said they would prefer a traditional
work arrangement.
The median weekly earnings for independent contractors working full-time were
$716 in 2005.
The bureau says the proportions of on-call workers (1.8 percent of total employment),
temporary help agency workers (0.9 percent of total employment), and workers
provided by contract firms (0.6 percent of total employment) saw little or no
change from 2001.