Contingent Worker

“Contingent workers” are workers who are hired by a company for short-term engagements. These employees work in a nonpermanent temporary capacity and are not contractually bound for long-term employment with the company. Contingent workers include independent contractors, consultants, freelancers, or other outsourced workers who are hired on a per-project basis. Contingent workers offer their services to a company in exchange of a fee, unlike traditional employees who receive a salary. They typically do not receive benefits and are responsible for paying their own taxes. 

Contingent workers represent a large pool of highly specialized workers, especially in a highly constrained talent market. In the U.S. alone, contingent workers comprise a population of 52 million workers, which is 35% of the overall U.S. workforce, generating $1.3 trillion of revenue in 2021.