almost 1 in 10 American workers Self-employed and earns approximately 1 in 3 Carry out some form of independent work, such as full-time or part-time employment or a side job alongside your regular job.
In Georgia, the figure could be even higher in 2022. Self-Employed Reporting Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia, are highlighted as having among the highest percentages of self-employed people among large and small cities, respectively. Additionally, Associated Builders and Contractors ranks Georgia as one of the top 100 cities in the U.S. with 100% self-employed. #1 state for construction Construction industry to record highest growth rate in 2023 And then it rises — Percentage of independent contractors.
There are already too few people working in the United States: if the employment rate was the same as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, there would be 2.9 million more people working right now.
Workers of all stripes want to know which policymakers provide a better foundation for workers to thrive. Both parties and nearly every politician claim to be on the side of workers, but their approaches to “helping” workers are completely dissimilar. Progressives, in particular, say they want to help all workers, but in reality their policies pick winners and losers.
The Biden-Harris administration is working to reduce self-employment and force virtually all workers into traditional nine-to-five jobs that involve reporting to a boss and subjecting them to thousands of pages of labor and employment law.
In particular, new Biden-Harris Regulation It would be illegal for companies to do business with large numbers of independent contractors, freelancers, or gig workers.
The restrictions mirror the laws of Harris' home state of California. AB5But this is highly unpopular. Even Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) supports more people leaving self-employment and moving to large companies. He signed the law There are severe penalties for employers who misclassify employees, whether intentionally or negligently. The law also imposes excessive restrictions on independent contractors in the construction industry, including a 14-point test.
The full impact of these laws is yet to be seen, but they are likely to be profound. By 2023, approximately 64 million Americans People who work independently, whether they are full-time, part-time, gig workers, or side hustles. These independent workers are not limited to accountants and Uber drivers, but can also include IT consultants, makeup artists, babysitters, musicians, translators, fitness instructors, copy editors, truck drivers, and more.
Independent workers say it Better work-life balance, Equal or higher incomeand flexibility translates to less stress and better health. In fact, nearly half of independent workers No matter how much money you have They will likely return to traditional employment.
Many people, especially parents, carers and those with health problems, want or need flexible work and these rules will deprive them. Half of people who have an independent job Unable to work for a traditional employer Due to personal circumstances.
California's AB5 caused chaos Over 600 professionsHundreds of workers How they were affectedThe law was so unpopular that lawmakers granted more than 100 exemptions and voters passed a referendum exempting ride-sharing companies from the law.
The law continues to restrict employment and income in the state. A 10.5% reduction in self-employment California. Lawmakers' intended goal of getting more workers into full-time employment was not achieved, with the law resulting in a 4.4 percent decline in total employment.
In addition to hurting workers who want and need flexibility, restrictions on independent contractors also hurt small businesses. A 2021 poll found: 62% of small and medium-sized businesses They said their company's success depends on independent contractors or that it would be much harder to run a profitable business without them.
Small businesses rely on independent contractors to grow and compete with larger companies. On average, small businesses with four or fewer employees 6.7 Using contractors.
There are already too few people working in the United States. If employment rates were the same as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, Over 2.9 million The last thing Americans need is new regulations that make it harder to make a living or afford the rising costs of living.
The Biden-Harris rules only went into effect in March, so it's too early to fully study their impact, but the employment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points between March and July, a decline that represents a loss of 700,000 workers.
If the next administration continues to pursue similar policies, Georgians will likely be among the Americans who suffer the most.
