72 million Americans ditch 9 to 5 for flexible work life

Freelance work is becoming the new normal.

It’s a post-pandemic shift in how we work and live and it benefits both workers and companies.

According to Forbes, 72 million Americans have left their traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs with the comfort of a steady paycheck and benefits for the freedom of choosing when and where they want to work. And the freelance trend continues to grow.

“I think the headline there is a third of the US population, now consider themselves independent workers,” said Shannon Denton, co-founder and CEO, of Wripple. “We’re actually talking about highly skilled, white-collar workers that have decided to become free agents.”

Flexibility is driving the trend.

“You’re kind of your own boss, you’re an entrepreneur, which is very kind of the younger generation really loves that,” Denton said. “They don’t necessarily want to work for someone else. And so they’re excited about the opportunities to kind of build their own path. And you can keep 100% busy throughout the year if you’d want to.”

Denton said three out of four organizations are hampered by skill gaps that are limiting their business growth. Skilled freelancers can fill that gap, completing projects faster and helping firms reduce costs. Freelancers are common in tech fields, but almost every kind of workplace now uses them.

And the trend for the future looks optimistic, with a year-over-year growth rate of 18% to 20%.

” 94% of companies plan to increase the use of freelancers in the next 24 months,” Denton added.

To be successful as a freelancer, Denton said you need to have a very specific skill set and be good at what you do. He advises at least three years of traditional work after college to get those skills.