The freelance economy is growing rapidly, a trend with significant implications for the workplace. Nearly one in four employees freelance in some capacity, according to the Staples Advantage Workplace Index, a recent study of office workers in the U.S. conducted by the business-to-business division of Staples.
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Overall, 12% of employees work as freelancers as their primary source of income, and the same percentage freelance in addition to their primary job.
Employees freelance for a variety of reasons, including the flexibility to make their own hours (37%), make more money (39%), and achieve a work/life balance (32%). Businesses also benefit from this arrangement by getting access to highly skilled workers they need for special projects.