There are at least 1.6 million gig economy workers in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's just 1% of the country's workforce, but research shows they're tremendously underserved when it comes to health and other benefits. And that means this small segment could have big sales potential.
Most gig workers have poor access to benefits
Only 20% of gig workers have access to any benefits through the employers they work for, according to an Eastbridge survey of independent contractors and 1099 employees last year. For those who do have access to benefits, the offering is most often medical insurance (68%), followed by prescription drug coverage (42%), dental insurance (39%) and vision coverage (26%).
It's not surprising employers are most likely to offer core health products to gig workers, but other products are available more often than you might think, including short-term disability (23%), accident (16%), AD&D (16%) and legal plans (16%).
Gig workers are hungry for more benefits
Most gig workers surveyed say access to core benefits such as medical, dental and vision is important or very important. But many are interested in additional coverage: More than a third (34%) place high importance on access to voluntary benefits, and a fourth also say it's important to have access to nontraditional benefits such as identity theft protection, mental health or legal plans.
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Where gig workers get benefits
If most gig workers aren't able to access benefits through an employer, where are they finding coverage? Nearly half (45%) say the most common source is directly from an insurance or benefits provider. About 1in 4 (39%) rely on government-funded coverage such as Medicare or Medicaid, state or military health and retirement benefits, or coverage through a spouse or partner. Only 10% say they have access to benefits through a professional association or group, and a similar number (11%) say they obtain benefits through a personal association or group.
Gig workers represent a small portion of the workforce, but many of your clients may be utilizing their talent to supplement their employee population. You can tap into this relationship — and gig workers' strong interest in improving their insurance protection — by talking to your clients about making voluntary and other benefits available to their contract workers.
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