Want to plan for the “future of work”? Help independent workers now

From paying taxes to accessing benefits, learn about the issues facing independent workers in a world set up for full-time work

In Canada and around the world, conversations about the “future of work” tend to be dominated by one question: what skills will people need for the jobs of the future? The federal government is investing $225 million over the next four years on a new Future Skills Centre, while international organizations deliberate over the skills you will need to adapt to technological change.

Reskilling is an important issue, but major structural changes are already underway that have yet to be properly addressed. In particular, self-employed and freelance work has become an increasingly common form of employment. It is not just the “gig economy” of Uber and Etsy: in traditionally full-time sectors like health and education, demand for freelancers has been surging in recent years. In the United States and Europe, 20–30 percent of workers are thought to be engaged in independent work already…

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Brookfield Institute https://brookfieldinstitute.ca/commentary/want-to-plan-for-the-future-of-work-help-independent-workers-now/