Eighty percent of employers expect their non-employee workforce, which consists of consultants, independent contractors, temporary employees and project teams, to remain the same or increase in size over the next year, despite today's economy, finds the Annual Workforce Trends Study commissioned by Yoh.

Though this temporary workforce could present issues for employers, this new workforce enables free agency and could change how non-employees build their careers, as there is a greater emphasis on knowledge and skill, rather than seniority and security.

As the United States recovers from the recession, the focus on the non-employee workforce is different from past economic recoveries because employers traditionally add temporary workers before hiring full-time employees.