Freelance Nation: Why Permanent Jobs May Not Come Back

[many a good man]

Charles Hugh Smith

The U.S. may acquire a new nickname this decade: Freelance Nation. Not only are many of the jobs that have been lost unlikely to come back, but those that do are increasingly likely to be freelance, temporary or contract positions rather than permanent jobs with benefits.

Though it is tempting to hope for a quick rebound in jobs in 2010, recent history suggests job recovery is getting increasingly slower and less robust with each passing decade. The reason: The U.S. economy is undergoing deeply structural changes.

Since the early 1990s recession, every recovery in hiring has been slower than in previous decades. Three million jobs were lost in the deep recession, which began in July 1981 and ended in November 1982. But by the end of 1983, the number of jobs in the economy had risen above its old peak. In the 1970s and 1980s, job layoffs were in effect temporary.

...

While it is tempting to yearn for "the good old days," it seems that the global economy leaves us little choice but an insecure work environment which favors flexibility and continuous upgrading of skills.


http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/freelance-nation-why-permanent-jobs-may-not-come-back/19319743/