Workforce Trends
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Over the past year, both supply and demand for independent workers increased. MBO Partners’ latest State of Independence Study found that 72.1 million Americans reported working independently in 2023. A tight labor market and demand for workers with specialized skills led more organizations to rely on independent talent to fill skill gaps. Together, this increased…
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MBO Partners’ 2023 State of Independence report found that there have never been more people working independently—more than 72 million Americans reported working as part-time, occasional, or full-time independents. There is a growing demand for independent talent, who are well-positioned to provide companies with flexible, on-demand expertise. And as more people see independent work as…
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In a labor market characterized by scarcity and dynamic shifts, the statistics speak volumes about the evolving nature of the workforce. As of October, there were 9.6 million open jobs, significantly outnumbering the 6.5 million job seekers (October BLS Report). This staggering gap emphasizes the ongoing challenge of talent acquisition, pushing organizations to explore innovative…
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Forty-eight percent of U.S. independent professionals are either Baby Boomers (19%) or Gen X (29%). It is likely that many of these, especially in the Boomer cohort, are pursuing encore careers as independent professionals. These workers can make valuable contributions to the companies they work with. What Is an Encore Career? An encore career is…
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“There have never been more payroll jobs in the U.S. There have also never been more people working independently.” 2023 State of Independence Report Those two statements may seem paradoxical, but they are both true. The U.S. independent talent population has grown steadily year on year—from 2020 to 2023 alone it jumped by 89%. Even…
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The future is always on the business radar—for example, the economic future, the market future, the regulatory future. But the idea of forecasting the future in the context of work and how it gets done—what we’re calling the “future of work”—is new. The model of a predominantly onsite 40-hour work week has been in place…
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If you ask leaders at your enterprise what “workplace flexibility” means, what would they say? Many answers would probably revolve around ideas like remote/hybrid arrangements, variable work schedules, and skill-based roles, and they would be right—to a degree. These and other tactics certainly contributed to enhanced flexibility, but on their own, they can fall short…
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By now, we have all heard about digital nomadism. Earlier this year, I authored a long form piece for HBR on the topic, on how to get started and have a successful digital nomad experience. However, while the phenomenon of employee nomading has been extensively recorded, its allure is now expanding beyond individuals to encompass…
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The use of gaming techniques in non-game situations—known as gamification—has been a consumer staple for some time. From frequent flyer miles to coffee shop punch cards, retail marketers understand that motivating customers through freebies is an effective strategy. In recent years, gamification has made its way into the workplace, mainly by way of training programs…
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Giving and receiving feedback to and from your high-value independent professionals offers for great opportunities for increased innovation and continuous improvement in the business. Establishing a feedback culture in this talent pool compounds the benefits to the enterprise. Even if you do not (yet) have such a culture in your employee population, creating one among…
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