20% of US Adults Do Gig Work: Gig Economy 2026
20% of US adults performed gig work in the month before being surveyed in October 2024, according to the Federal Reserve's SHED survey (n=12,295), published in May 2025, up from 16% in 2021. See the 2026 data on who does gig work, how big the broader independent workforce is, and what businesses hiring gig talent need in writing.