Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy

Economic and labor market context
Independent workforce: Government statistics
▪
A higher share of Sweden's working-age population (5 percent) has multiple jobs than the share in the 
EU-15 (2 percent).
▪
Temporary work has been growing, with 9 percent of the working-age population in these work 
arrangements.  
▪
1.8 million want more work: 400,000 who are unemployed, 300,000 who are part-time involuntary, and 
1.1 million who are inactive.
GDP growth and median household income growth
Total and youth unemployment rate
% of labor force
15
10
0
-15
5
-10
20
8
6
-5
4
2
-6
-4
-2
0
12
07
11
09
08
10
13 14 2015
06
2005
GDP growth
% change, constant prices, 
2010 $
Median household 
income growth
%
20
15
10
5
30
0
25
14 2015
10
12
11
09
13
08
07
06
2005
Sweden youth
EU total
EU youth
Sweden total
GDP
$ trillion
0.36
0.39
0.43
8.1 million
working-age population
5.2 million
people in the labor force
1.8 million
people who want to work more
Key highlights
NOTE: Numbers may not sum due to rounding. 
SOURCE: Eurostat; OECD; McKinsey McKinsey Global Institute analysis

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McKinsey Global Institute
Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy
1.4–
1.9M
1.4M
Free agents and casual earners are the 
largest group of independent earners
% of independent earners
4.5
4.3
4.4
4.9
6
1
5
3
2
4
Independents
Traditional
Independents
Traditional
By choice (primary work only)
Out of necessity
Current primary 
independent 
workers
Potential primary 
independent workers 
based on stated desire
By choice
Out of 
necessity
74%
26%
0.7 million
Free 
agents
33%
0.9 million
Casual 
earners
41%
0.3 million
Reluctants
13%
0.3 million
Financially 
strapped
13%
46%
54%
Primary
Scale from 1 (completely dissatisfied) 
to 6 (completely satisfied)