Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Independence leads to optimism?
Jobs | Economy
October 24, 2022 – While the overall economic landscape may be trending toward gloomy, independent workers remain surprisingly upbeat, according to the McKinsey Economic Opportunity Index. A recent article from senior partner Kweilin Ellingrud and coauthors finds independent workers most optimistic when they work for their own personal enjoyment or additional income, while those who do it for the autonomy or flexibility are relatively less optimistic. Click through the interactive to see more.
To read the article, see “Freelance, side hustles, and gigs: Many more Americans have become independent workers,” August 23, 2022.
Interactive
customizer here
Visual form
Tabbed economic-opportunity index lollipop chart.
Layout / body structure
The chart has Overall, Short-term, and Long-term tabs. The visible view is split into a left comparison of respondent groups and a right comparison by main reason for independent work.
What is being compared
It compares McKinsey Economic Opportunity Index scores for all respondents, all employed respondents, independent workers, and independent workers grouped by reason for participating in contract, freelance, or temporary work.
Measurement system
The index is centered around 100, with values above 100 indicating a more positive outlook and values below 100 indicating a more negative outlook. Dots and vertical stems mark each group.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The visible Overall tab shows all respondents below 100, all employed respondents just above 100, independent workers above 110, and reason-based dots such as out of necessity, autonomy/flexibility, enjoy the work, and additional income.
Main takeaway from the visual
Independent workers show a more optimistic economic-opportunity outlook than workers overall, especially among those who enjoy the work or seek additional income.
Key standout values or extremes
The highest visible points are the Enjoy the work and Additional income groups, both near the 120 index level. All respondents sit below the neutral 100 line.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
The tabs switch among Overall, Short-term, and Long-term views inside the chart.
Companion media, when applicable
The chart is the full visual on this page. There is no separate companion audio or video outside the visual.