WASHINGTON — It’s increasingly being called the “gig economy.” As technology makes it easier to outsource work, companies like Uber are challenging notions about what it means to hold a job.
The New York Times reports the rise of flexible workplace arrangements has made some employees deeply anxious about their own economic futures. However, certain skilled workers stand to benefit most from the changes.
“We believe that this is going to be the model going forward,” says Eric Adolphe, CEO of McLean-based GOVPROP.com, which connects consultants with government contractors through an online marketplace. Adolphe says 50% of the overall economy will be part of the on-demand, sharing economy within the next 20 years.
He says the freelance model has long been around in government contracting, but expects the addition of new technology to be “disruptive” in the industry.
Adolphe says 1,000 people have signed up on his site, and 60 to 70 have landed work since its launch earlier this year. Jobs so far have ranged from a couple of hours’ work for a few hundred dollars, to a nine month commitment topping $170,000. The most experienced consultants are the most likely to land the most lucrative jobs.
The Times reports the “Uberization” of the overall economy actually back in the 1970s as companies began outsourcing areas like human resources, with the trend accelerating in the 1990s.
Adophe says consultants have always been needed in government contracting, because “the government does everything from A to Z – from aviation to zoology” and companies cannot pay for a full-time expert on each topic.
