Seven in 10 freelancers would consider moving, thanks to job flexibility, creating a large pool of potential residents attractive to state and local governments, according to a policy brief developed by SUNY Empire State and Rockefeller Institute\u2019s new Future of Labor Research Center.
\nThe joint Future of Labor Research Center explores the growth of the mobile workforce and examines economic development initiatives aimed at attracting and maintaining these workers.
\nThe research brief on the growth of the mobile workforce said as the mobile workforce expands, policy makers are looking to implement new strategies to attract them.
\n\u201cThe trend away from lifelong careers in factory or office jobs to a more flexible and more freelance workforce is already having profound effects throughout society, from education to health care to economic development,\u201d said Jim Malatras, president of SUNY Empire State College and chair of the Rockefeller Institute board of advisors.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s critical that we understand these changes so that policy makers and stakeholders can make smart decisions for long-term growth and worker protections. Research like this from the new Future of Labor Research Center will be an invaluable resource moving forward.\u201d
\nThe research highlights some of the characteristics of this expanding workforce:
\n\u2022 More women now work from home than men.
\n\u2022 Colorado, Oregon, and Vermont were the states with the three largest work-from-home populations.
\n\u2022 Summit Park, Utah, has the highest percentage of civilian workers who worked from home at 13.9 percent. Utah is the fastest-growing work-from-home state.
\nThe policy brief also explores how the growing mobile workforce may drive broadband expansion in rural areas, a long-standing goal of federal and state governments.
\nThe brief is the first research released as part of the Future of Labor Research Center, a collaboration between expert faculty at SUNY Empire State College\u2019s Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor and researchers and analysts at the Rockefeller Institute that will examine the changing nature of work, workers, and worker organizations.
\nOfficials said that across the nation, the mobile workforce is expanding. An estimated 57 million Americans are freelancing, with more than a quarter of them full-time. As job flexibility expands and the choice of where to live becomes disentangled from job centers, many workers are considering living outside of large cities.
\nTax breaks, recruiting programs, and expansion of workers\u2019 rights are among the strategies being used by policy makers to capitalize on these shifting attitudes and constraints, according to the policy brief.
\n\u201cMany local governments, especially in rural areas, see the growing mobile workforce as a tremendous opportunity to bolster local economies and stem the tide of declining populations,\u201d said Patricia Strach, interim executive director at the Rockefeller Institute. \u201cStates, too, are taking steps to improve quality of life and expand worker protections for alternative workers in hopes of drawing new residents.\u201d
\nThe Rockefeller Institute of Government is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. It conducts research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the problems facing New York state and the nation.
\nTo learn more, visit\u202fwww.esc.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seven in 10 freelancers would consider moving, thanks to job flexibility, creating a large pool of potential residents attractive to state and local governments, according to a policy brief developed by SUNY Empire State and Rockefeller Institute\u2019s new Future of Labor Research Center. The joint Future of Labor Research Center explores the growth of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n