An in-depth look at the data from MBO Partners 2015 State of Independence in America Report.

1. Five Years of Insight on the Growth of the Independent Workforce
2015 MBO Partners
State of Independence
In America Report
SUMMARY

2. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Background
• In its fifth year, MBO Partners has conducted a comprehensive study
of the size, segments and attitudes of independent workers across the
U.S., making it the definitive tracking of this population.
– The only longitudinal study of its kind with five years of trend data!
• Each year, MBO focuses on a particular segment for additional polling
and analysis.
– This year, MBO highlights a look at the Part-Time Independent population,
Independents, and independents by gender.
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3. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Watch The Summary Video (a two-minute look at the data!)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM-uusKicEY

4. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Executive Summary
• In 2015, Full- and Part-Time
Independents aged 21+ held firm
at 30.2 million
• Include “Occasional Independents” and
swells to 42.1 million
• Independents are a viable
economic force; their contribution
to annual revenue is up 5.8% from
2014 and 26% higher than 2011
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5. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Meet the Independents
• Both an important income stream and a way to
diversify households’ financial risk.
• All ages, professions, educational levels and
geographies, and work in a wide array of industries.
• Titles: contractors, freelancers, consultants, temps,
self-employed, solopreneurs, side-giggers and on-
call workers.
• They work anywhere from a few hours per week to
60-hour weeks, and earn incomes ranging from the
low five figures into the mid six figures.
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6. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Meet the Independents
• The number of Full-Time Millennial Independents
(21-35 years of age in our study) has grown from
1.9 million 2011 to 5.35 million in 2015
– A nearly three-fold increase, Millennials
constitute 30% of the Full-Time Independent
workforce.
• About 13% of adult Americans (about 29 million)
who are not independent workers are considering
a shift to independence in the next 2-3 years.
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7. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Consistent Over Time: Independent By Choice
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• Independents actively choose their path;
nearly 6 in 10 (58%) report that
independent work was their choice
completely, with another 32% saying
that personal choice played a significant
part in the decision to work solo.

8. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Consistent Over Time: Independent By Choice
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• It’s not just about the money!
– In fact, 70% of all Independents we
surveyed this year report “doing
something I like is more important
than making the most money,” while
65% say “flexibility is more
important than making the most
money.”

9. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Independents Get What They’re Looking For
• 58% report that they plan to continue as
Independents; while 16% plan to build a larger
business.
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10. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Independence Seen as Safer and More Secure
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11. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
High-Earning Independents
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• Several factors are driving the impressive
growth of High-Earning Independents:
– Consistent economic growth is creating
more opportunities for independent workers
in all industries, but particularly for those in
high-growth industries such as technology,
biosciences and finance.
– The shift to contingent workers by
companies large and small is creating more
work for independent professionals who
serve businesses.
– Corporate “wars for talent” – demand for
highly skilled and/or specialized talent – in
high-growth industries such as technology
and healthcare, and in-demand job
categories is leading to higher fees and
increased revenue for many Independents.

12. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Millennials: The Work To Live Generation
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13. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Women: Personal Fulfillment & Flexibility Are Key
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• Men and women enter the
independent workforce in equal
numbers, but for different reasons.
• The challenges are similar,
although women report being more
challenged by a lack of predictable
income (56%) vs. men (47%).

14. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Side-Giggers: Workers In Search of New Experiences & Income Streams
• Also known as Part-Time Independents, these workers age 21+ pursue independent work between one and 15 hours per
week on a regular basis.
• Unlike the Full-Time Independents, almost three quarters (71%) of part-timers have jobs: 53% have traditional full-time
jobs while 18% have part-time jobs. Virtually all (91%) part-timers report they have a traditional job instead of relying
entirely on their independent work because it provides a steady source of income.
• Other widely cited reasons for holding on to a traditional job include access to health insurance and other benefits (48%)
and security (38%).
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15. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
The Unsatisfied Independents
• 28% of independent workers would prefer a traditional job.
• These workers rely on task assignments from contingent employers, brokers or agencies to make ends
meet.
• Unsatisfied Independents effectively work on the employer’s terms, not their own – yet without an employer
commitment to reliable work schedules, benefits and income.
• Those who have limited industry expertise, have worked less than two years as an independent worker
and/or work as temporary workers or on-call workers are much more likely to fall into the Unsatisfied
Independent category.
• The total of Unsatisfied Independents fell slightly from 30% in 2014 to 28% in 2015.
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16. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
Economic Impact – Independents Are An Important Economic Asset
• The Independent Economy is growing far faster than
the economy at large.
– Over the past year independent workers generated
trillion of revenue. That sum, equal to nearly 7
was up 5.8% from calendar year 2013 and is 26%
2011 total.
• Independents are both local and global. Abut 65% of
their income, or about $748 billion, was generated
locally over the past year.
– Revenue derived from outside their local area was
billion, with $277 billion coming from outside their
• Independents even contribute to lowering America’s
trade balance deficit.
– In the past year, they exported $38 billion worth of
services over the past year.
– This is equal to the total value of all U.S. exports to
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17. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
The Future of Independent Work: Trends & Forecasts
• Over the next five years we expect the number of
Full-Time and Part-Time independent workers in
America to grow by 25.4% to 37.9 million in 2020,
which we estimate to be 30 percent of the private,
non-farm workforce.
• Adding the category of occasional independents
based on the same proportion as today, the
projected total number of adults in America
working independently will grow to an estimated
54 million or nearly 45% of the private, non-farm
private, non-farm workforce.
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18. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
About MBO Partners
MBO Partners is the industry’s only complete business operating system for independent
workers, offering technology solutions that make it easy for self-employed professionals and
their clients to do business. By re- envisioning the entire contractor recruitment and engagement
lifecycle, MBO improves how talented independents operate and succeed while helping
enterprises reduce risk and get the best return on their contractor investments. To learn more,
visit www.mbopartners.com.
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19. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
About the Study
• The MBO Partners State of Independence in America research series is based on more than 13,000 in-depth surveys and hundreds of
interviews conducted over the past 5 years. Independent workers are defined as those aged 21 years or older who self-describe his/her job
status as one or more of the following: an independent consultant/contractor; self-employed; a freelance worker; a temporary worker; a fixed
term contract worker; an on-call worker; a small business owner with fewer than 4 employees; and, regularly work as an independent in an
average work week.
• For the 2015 study two separate online surveys were conducted by Emergent Research (www.emergentresearch.com) and Rockbridge
Associates (www.rockresearch.com) in May of 2015. 1,065 residents of the U.S. responded to the first survey, and the results were used to
size the independent workforce and define the interest in becoming an independent worker by the general population. The data was weighted
to reflect the demographics of the US and the margin of error for this survey is +/- 3%. 1,565 independent workers responded to the second
survey and the results were used to profile their characteristics and motivations. The margin of error for the second survey is +/- 2%. The 2015
survey results are generally statistically consistent with the survey results from the prior 4 years.
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20. 2015 MBO State of Independence study
For More Information…
Visit MBOPartners.com/State-of-Independence to download the full
report and more information on America’s independent workforce.
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