Contingent and Gig Workers: What the Latest BLS Survey Shows (6.9 Million Temporary Jobs)

Contingent jobs are ones people don’t expect to last, with no implicit or explicit contract for ongoing employment. BLS measures them, and other alternative arrangements, in a periodic survey. The latest data are from July 2023 (BLS Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements, July 2023); the previous survey was in May 2017.

Alternative arrangements on the main job

Contingent work and alternative arrangements are measured separately. Some workers are both, but not necessarily.

Who holds contingent jobs

• By age: 12.9% of workers 16 to 24, versus 3.1% of those 25 to 54 and 2.6% of those 55 and older.
• By sex: about the same for men (4.3%) and women (4.2%).
• By race and ethnicity: White 4.1%, Black 3.9%, Asian 5.9%, Hispanic 6.0%.
• Students: 15.5% of people 16 to 54 enrolled in school, versus 4.0% of those not enrolled.
• By education: 7.1% of workers 25 and older without a high school diploma.

Compared with workers in traditional arrangements, independent contractors were more likely to be older, and temporary help agency workers were more likely to be Black or Hispanic.

What it means for your pay

A contingent or contract job can be a foot in the door, but it usually comes without employer benefits. When you compare a contract rate with a salaried offer, add the value of benefits to the salary side and remember that independent contractors pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare tax.

• Ask a temp agency whether the client hires temps permanently and after how long.
• Price a contract rate above the equivalent hourly wage to cover benefits and self-employment tax.
• Get the end date or review date in writing.

Published October 27, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.

Header image: original graphic by JobPayRaise.com.