Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy

participate in independent work. 
 
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Education level is not an indicator of participation in independent work.
 
Participation in independent work is relatively similar across education levels. A study 
spanning Europe corroborates this, finding that the share of freelancers and self-
employed is constant across all educational levels.
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Independent workers span a diverse group of occupations.
 Exhibit 11 shows 
the occupations in which the independent workers in our survey are most heavily 
concentrated. These include education and training (10 percent); sales and marketing 
(9 percent); artists, designers, and entertainers (6 percent); health-care professions 
(6 percent); personal care and services (5 percent); and management professions 
(5 percent). Several occupations are predominantly composed of independent workers. 
For artists, designers, content writers and translators, building and maintenance 
workers, and small-business owners in agriculture and farming, three out of four 
earners are independent. In other occupations within education and training, sales and 
marketing, food service, construction and installation, transportation, and social science, 
one in two earners are independent. Clearly, the prevalence of independent work 
touches a wide range of both high-skill and low-skill professions. Independent work is 
lower than average in business and finance, management, engineering and architecture, 
computer and technology professions, and office and administrative support.
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Precarious employment in Europe, Part 1: Patterns, trends, and policy strategy
, European Parliament, 
July 2016.

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McKinsey Global Institute
2. Choice vs. necessity: Understanding the independent workforce