Study Says IT Workforce Choosing Contracting Over Traditional Employment, Despite Plentiful Opportunities

Mynul Khan, CEO and founder of Field Nation

Just a few years ago, before the pandemic, if you asked most IT field service professionals about contract work, they would have told you, “I would do it, but only if full-time work was not available.” Or maybe they would consider contracting as a way to make a few extra dollars. By and large, that’s what we heard from technicians.

However, according to a new study titled the State of Independent Contracting in Field Services, IT field service workers now choose independent contracting opportunities over full-time W2 work, despite the continued labor shortage in the industry. In fact, 98% of technicians now prefer to work as independent contractors in some capacity, according to the study.

That’s pretty surprising, considering the continued labor shortage in field service – even as the economy sputters. In fact, skilled labor is a challenge vexing all industries, from manufacturing and construction to insurance and high tech.