WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
4:00 - 6:00PM
How has work changed in the last decade?
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According to the recently released 2017 Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS), the number of Americans relying on alternative work arrangements for their main job has held steady since 2005 – the last time these numbers were collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Given the extensive economic and technological change we have seen over the past 13 years, what can we learn from these new numbers?
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The Aspen Institute's Future of Work Initiative is hosting a briefing to highlight and discuss the CWS findings and their implications on June 20. The CWS measures how many workers are in contingent and alternative work arrangements, including independent work, temp-agency work, and contract-firm work – arrangements that are sometimes referred to as the "gig economy."
The recent numbers – 10.1 percent of workers are in alternative arrangements as their main job – are informative, but also raise many questions and highlight the need for more and better data collection. We lack information on supplemental work, how people find their jobs, and how companies structure employment – information necessary in order to develop policies that address the challenges of today’s workers.
Learn more from experts and policymakers at this event.
Please note that seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Â
The briefing will include opening remarks from Future of Work Initiative Executive Director Alastair Fitzpayne, keynote remarks from Senator Mark Warner (VA) and Senator Todd Young (IN), a presentation of CWS findings from Mike Horrigan of BLS, and an expert panel moderated by Sarah Kessler of Quartz.
Panelists include:Â
Eileen Appelbaum, Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
Palak Shah, Social Innovations Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
Jim Spletzer, Principal Economist, U.S. Census Bureau
The Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative is a nonpartisan effort to identify concrete ways to address the challenges American workers and businesses face due to the changing nature of work in the 21st century. Rather than waiting to react to future disruptions, it is critical to address the changes transforming the U.S. economy by investing in workers and strengthening preparedness for the jobs of the future. Established in 2015, the Initiative is driven by the leadership of Honorary Co-Chairs Senator Mark R. Warner and Purdue University President and former Governor of Indiana Mitch Daniels, Co-Chairs John Bridgeland and Bruce Reed. Executive Director Alastair Fitzpayne leads an Aspen Institute staff, based in Washington, DC.
