The vast majority of young people do not want the government to force people into traditional jobs, according to new polling from Independent Women. This comes as federal and state lawmakers have considered or passed legislation that harms worker freedom and flexibility.
An incredibly high 80% of voters ages 18–34 agreed, along with 82% of voters overall, 82% of women, and 84% of independent voters, that “the government should not force people to work 9-to-5 jobs, but allow people the flexibility to be an independent contractor.”
An even higher 84% of workers 18-34 agreed “flexibility is important to many workers, especially parents and caregivers.”
Members of Congress recently reintroduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act. The PRO Act is a long-standing union-bolstering bill that undermines right-to-work nationwide. It also forces independent contractors to be reclassified as employees or end up jobless, a prospect with which young voters, and all voters, resoundingly disagree.
In its most recent annual report about workplace flexibility and alternative work arrangements, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, “Younger workers were four times more likely to have non-traditional jobs than older workers. The contingent rate for workers ages 16 to 24 was 12.9 percent, compared with 3.1 percent for those ages 25 to 54 and 2.6 percent for those age 55 and older.”
These nontraditional work arrangements provide vital first-time rungs on the ladder for young people to gain valuable, real-world experience outside the classroom, including internships and apprenticeships. They give both young workers and their employers the space and grace to make mistakes — try and fail without the constraints of full-time, traditional employment.
The PRO Act would reduce independent contract work across the country by nationally adopting California’s onerous, bureaucratic “ABC test” for determining if a worker is an independent contractor (codified as Assembly Bill 5 in 2019).
The PRO Act would eliminate the flexible work opportunities that younger millennial and Generation Z workers depend on to help them balance other priorities, such as caregiving for children and aging parents. Freelance workers would also see their income-generating opportunities disappear.
This is a problem especially for young people, who like workplace flexibility to fit around their school schedules, child care, or other responsibilities.
As an older millennial myself, I’ve personally benefited greatly from the ability to work remotely through independent contracting and have largely worked from home since 2014. This has allowed me the flexibility I’ve needed to manage recovery from my own severe health problems and care for sick and disabled family members requiring extra care.
The bottom line is that the PRO Act is neither pro-worker nor pro-woman; it’s just pro-union. Like AB5, it will hurt the freedoms and flexibility that today’s young workers enjoy.
Our Independent Women polling found 80% of young voters agree with the sentence “independent contracting is a good option for many people seeking flexible jobs.” Young people, and all voters, resoundingly agree: Government shouldn’t force workers into cookie-cutter jobs. Worker freedom is not only good policy; it’s also aligned with the will of the people.
Carrie Sheffield is a senior policy analyst at Independent Women.