Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy

Exhibit 15
4.60
4.52
Independent
workers
Traditional
workers
4.59
4.86
4.58
Casual 
earners
Traditional 
by choice
Free 
agents
4.32
4.30
Traditional
out of necessity
Independent
out of necessity
SOURCE:  McKinsey Global Institute analysis 
Independent workers report higher overall satisfaction with their work lives than traditional workers
1 Weighted average of satisfaction scale: 6 = completely satisfied, 5 = mostly satisfied, …1 = completely dissatisfied. 
2 Raw sample size before weighting by population.
NOTE: The sample sizes add up to less than the overall survey sample size because not all respondents earned income or worked in the past year.
Responses from MGI Survey
Mean response on a 6-point satisfaction scale
1
All surveyed countries, population weighted 
2,594
668
772
By choice
Sample size
2
774
637