There's a freelancer renaissance emerging in the U.S., largely due to the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
A major shift in the relationship between worker and employer was identified in a survey of more than 1,500 human resources professionals and freelance workers, conducted jointly by Field Nation, an online work platform that connects businesses and workers, and Future Workplace, an executive development firm.
Entitled "The Gig Economy," the study "found that the Affordable Care Act is triggering companies to hire more freelance workers, especially since 2016 is when the tax penalty for uninsured workers is the highest at $695 per employee."
Recommended For You
A staggering 68 percent of companies surveyed said PPACA "will have a high impact on hiring more freelance workers." Three-quarters said they would be hiring more freelancers as a result, 60 percent said they will hire more freelancers than full-time employees.
That's music to the ears of the growing freelancer nation, three-quarters of whom said their ideal work situation involves life as a freelancer or small business owner — not as a full-time employee of a company.
"Two macro trends are converging to expedite the blended workforce of full-time and freelance workers: an increased ease of discoverability of available and skilled freelancers at a time of peak ACA related cost drivers," the researchers said in a release.
With platforms like Field Nation now serving the freelance community along with job boards and employment agencies, finding a freelance gig is easier than ever — and it's happening at a time when corporations' appetite for the freelancer is at a peak.
What do companies love about freelancers? The top three reasons include: a more flexible team (46 percent), freelancers can often start working immediately (46 percent), and the ability to access specific niche skills (45 percent). Companies reported overwhelmingly that the freelancers they retained worked well with staff on joint projects. They noted that freelancers tend to be problem solvers and self managers.
One concern: Many lacked good written communications skills, employers said. Other challenges in working with freelancers included their availability, technical capabilities, and managing a consistent brand experience.
The freelancers said they tended to work 40 hours a week or less, had between one and five clients, and general enjoyed working relationships with clients of at least 10 months. They are willing to make less money in order to enjoy the freedoms of freelancing, most said.
Freelancers said they enjoy their work model because it gives them better control over their time and the opportunity to "use their skills to do things on their own terms." A whopping 95 percent said their family "has been at least somewhat supportive" about their venture into the freelance world.
"Spurred by competitive demands for more agile organizations, the world of work is pivoting to a blended workforce," said Mynul Khan, CEO at Field Nation. "The combination of enabling technologies, societal attitudes, increased mobility, high workforce dissatisfaction, and the war for talent is disrupting the classical employer-employee model. Top performing firms are leading the way."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
