Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy

Economic and labor market context
Independent workforce: Government statistics
▪
Unemployment continued to climb through the Great Recession and the European debt crisis. The rate still 
remains above 20 percent.
▪
After the Great Recession, it took six years for Spain's GDP growth to recover to pre-recession levels.
▪
Youth unemployment is sharply higher than in the rest of Europe;  roughly half of all young people are out 
of work.
▪
One in five employed workers are on temporary contracts (including almost two-thirds of young people 
who work).
▪
13 million want more work: 5 million unemployed, 2 million part-time involuntary, and 6 million inactive.
GDP growth and median household income growth
Total and youth unemployment rate
% of labor force
0
4
20
10
5
0
-5
-10
8
6
15
2
-4
-2
2015
13
12
11
10
09
08
07
06
2005
14
GDP growth
% change, constant prices, 
2010 $
Median household 
income growth
%
60
10
50
40
0
20
30
08
2015
09
13
10
06
12
2005
14
11
07
Spain total
EU total
Spain youth
EU youth
GDP
$ trillion
1.43
1.56
1.50
39.0 million
working-age population
22.9 million
people in the labor force
12.9 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
3.0 million
self-employed workers
% of working-age population
8%
8%
Compared to
3.7 million
temporary workers
% of working-age population
10%
6%
Compared to
0.4 million
workers with multiple jobs
% of working-age population
1%
2%
Compared to

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McKinsey Global Institute
Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy
6M
7–
10M
Casual earners are the largest group of 
independent earners
% of independent earners
4.3
4.1
4.1
4.6
6
4
1
2
3
5
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
58%
42%
3 million
Free 
agents
26%
4 million
Casual 
earners
32%
3 million
Reluctants
21%
2 million
Financially 
strapped
21%
48%
52%
Primary
Supplementary
Scale from 1 (completely dissatisfied) 
to 6 (completely satisfied)