Rise of the Free Agent Workforce

As more Americans struggle with the realities of unemployment and creatively manuever economic uncertainty, it seems a new career trend is on the rise. According to an article published this week in the Wall Street Journal, nearly 23% of US workers currently work as consultants, freelancers or contractors. Stated again: 1 in 4 working Americans are free agents; hard working solo-preneurs. A surprising, yet encouraging percentage of growing entrepreneurial spirit, fueled partly, albeit, by economic desperation. The trend is expected to grow in the coming years.

The implications for the American workplace are profound. Imagine one in four workers, of all collars, working on a contingent basis. Whole career paths and professions have shifted from stable full-time jobs with definable career ladders and benefits to almost completely contingent work forces that shift from project to project. - WSJ

The WSJ article goes on to dispell the myths of solo workers as "struggling entrepreneurs," and highlights five ingredients that make for thriving solo entrepreneurs, with or without the backing of their former employers. These five ingredients are:

1. Think Long Term 2. Teach Others 3. Join a Network 4. Have Your Own Space 5. Think Like An Entrepreneur

Interesting stuff. Read the full article @ WSJ.com