U.S. Workers May Become Free Agents

Full-time workers may become an endangered species within 10 years as free agents take a more dominant role, a new study concludes.

The research by CDI Corp. and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says the Internet is fueling the trend, which will see workers cast off their cubicles for more interesting, well-paid, flexible work arrangements.

At the same time, the study said, corporate America is realizing that large groups of dedicated employees can be a liability rather than an asset. Instead, companies are using contract workers to respond quickly to market demands.

“By the year 2010, the traditional, full-time, permanent employment model will likely be more the exception than the norm,” said Mitch Wienick, president and chief executive officer of CDI Corp.

While the study depicts the trend as unstoppable, there are signs that it’s not being embraced by all workers - at least not yet.

Interviews showed that 57 percent of full-time workers believe working as an independent contractor or free agent would enhance their quality of life, but only 33 percent said they would make the leap. They liked the high pay, interesting work and increased flexibility, but felt uncertain about the possibility of not having steady work or regular benefits.

Friend of the family

Which are the most family-friendly companies to work for in America?

According to Working Mother magazine, the list includes a who’s who of Blue Chip corporations, plus a few relative unknowns.

Out of the 100 companies listed in the October issue, Working Mother names 10 companies as exceptionally progressive: Allstate Insurance Co., Bank of America Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Fannie Mae, IBM Corp., Lincoln Financial Group, Life Technologies Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., Novant Health Inc. and Prudential Financial Services.

IBM has been among the top 10 for 13 years - longer than any other company - and in the top 100 all 15 years that the list has been compiled.

Washington D.C.-based Fannie Mae was named the year’s “family champion” for allowing workers up to 10 hours of paid time off per month for volunteer work.

Taking stock

The work force expanded nearly five-fold during the 20th century, from 28 million people in 1900 to 139 million in 1999, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Women’s participation in the labor force more than tripled during the past century. In 1900, less than 20 percent of women were in the labor force. By 1999, women’s participation had increased to 60 percent.