It's the Side Hustle, Stupid
America has more than enough independent contractors—including in key battleground states—to swing the election with this specific policy message.
July’s weak employment report dropped like an angst bomb late last week, landing hard on the already anxious American psyche. It tanked the stock market and roiled global markets, causing retirement savings to plummet and stoking fears of a recession.
The report came at the same time pollsters continued to pound on the message that Americans, heading into this fall’s election, are primarily thinking about inflation and prices.
Far less heralded was a new survey from Bankrate, which made clear what a sizable portion of the electorate is already doing to shore up household cash flow:
This survey added to previous research that showed freelancing significantly increased after the pandemic’s economic upheaval.
Yes, some people are picking up side hustles out of financial distress. That’s clear in the data, and it’s obviously a bad spot to be in. But Bankrate’s own analyst told USA Today that "last year, it was all about day-to-day expense. ... This year, it's more fun spending and 'I'm going to side hustle to take a nice vacation or splurge on some electronics' or something like that."
It’s also true that most independent contractors have long told researchers we are choosing this path. We’re finding ways to create stability and boost our income beyond traditional jobs.
For political candidates, this combination of events presents an opportunity.
If ever there was a good time to support policies that protect the freedom to freelance or take on a side hustle, that time is right now.
The Psychology at Play
According to the new Bankrate survey:
Side hustlers make $891 on average per month in extra income aside from their main source of income
People of all ages are taking on size hustles. It’s 48% of Gen Z, 44% of Millennials, 33% of Gen X and 23% of baby boomers
The Bankrate survey also found that 36% of side hustlers use the income to pay for regular living expenses, like rent and groceries—but USA Today’s reporting further found that "50% of people say that they're doing it for fun and not for money.''
These side hustlers are in addition to the millions of Americans who already earn all of our income as independent contractors. Many of us believe that this way of making a buck, with multiple streams of income, empowers us to avoid the kind of all-or-nothing layoffs that come with traditional jobs.
Make no mistake: Having the ability to pick up a side hustle or go freelance is like a safety net in the back of many Americans’ minds. If, for whatever reason, we want or need to earn extra cash, we know this option exists.
Among those of us who have already made that leap, two out of three feel more financially secure than in traditional jobs. Even when surveyed at the height of the pandemic, 60% of us said no amount of money would convince us to take a traditional job. Americans with household incomes of more than $100,000 are actually the most likely to seek extra cash outside of work, according to some research.
That’s the nut of it—financial security. That’s the feeling that can come from having a solid side hustle or freelance career. Even for a lot of people with traditional jobs, there can be a feeling of security in simply knowing the options exist.
Every political candidate is out on the campaign trail right now, telling us how they’re going to protect our financial security.
They should be more precise. They should make clear that no matter what happens next, they will protect our freedom to make whatever choices we want or need in order to pay our bills.
Promise to stop the freelance busting and save the side hustle.
Close, but Not Quite
All of the messaging coming our way as voters right now is either politically divisive—which leaves us feeling even more exhausted—or it’s far too general, focusing on generic party stances and data. This is true for Republicans and Democrats alike:
Think about how much more powerful the messaging would be if politicians focused specifically on what we, the people, are experiencing in our daily lives.
Imagine how you’d feel if a candidate instead said something like this:
My opponent is trying to take away your freedom to have a side hustle—even if you like having one. I’m fighting for your freedom to earn a living however you want. I understand that if you want to take on a side hustle, the government shouldn’t stand in your way.
Or this:
My opponent wants to limit your freedom to freelance. I think that’s wrong. You should be able to earn a living in whatever way works best for you. I will stop the freelance busting. I understand that for some people, freelancing is the better way to pay the bills.
Now, I’m no political strategist, but as a full-on independent contractor for two decades now, I’m smart enough to know that this type of messaging would sure resonate more effectively with me.
I’m also guessing that it would resonate with the side hustlers who don’t want to lose their extra stream of income right now, or who are testing that side hustle marketplace with the hopes of becoming their own boss full time.
Sure, for the policy wonks, we can get into the nitty-gritty regulatory realities of freelance busting. We can discuss ways that Democrats and Republicans alike have scared the heck out of independent contractors in recent years with policy ideas that threaten our income and careers.
And yes, for those who believe everything should be examined by gender, race and personal differences, we can look at census data showing that women and minorities own quite a lot of nonemployer firms, and how a lot of women see improvements to their health after they decide to freelance. We can cover U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that shows how important freelancing is to people with disabilities.
For those who are laser-focused on the immigration issue, we can talk about how immigrants are disproportionately represented among the self-employed, and nearly twice as likely as those born in the United States to start businesses, with refugees being especially likely to pursue entrepreneurship.
Overall, we can make clear that about 80% of people earning some or all of our income as independent contractors prefer what we’re doing to having a traditional job.
Political strategist James Carville is still right about what he said back in 1992. The focus of political messaging is not hard to figure out. It’s the economy, stupid.
But today? In the economy of 2024? Politicians can be more precise.
It’s the side hustle, stupid.
Count the Swing State Votes
By every estimate, including the government’s own data, there are tens of millions of independent contractors nationwide. By some estimates, there are now more than 72 million Americans earning some or all of our income through self-employment.
The desire to protect the choice of self-employment crosses party lines. Most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are on the side of the side hustle.
This is true at the national level, according to Pew Research, and at the state level, most recently according to the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Even in bright-blue California, nearly 60% of voters sided with independent contractors when a 2020 ballot proposition gave them the chance.
The thinking of the electorate is clear: Most people want the government to protect our freedom to have a side hustle or go freelance.
When it comes to estimates about how many independent contractors are in each of the battleground states, available data suggests that the figure is plenty high to swing the election outcome.
According to a 2023 report by the American Action Forum:
In Georgia, there are more than 2.7 million independent workers
In Pennsylvania, there are more than 2.5 million
In Michigan, there are just shy of 2 million
In Arizona, the figure is more than 1.4 million
In Wisconsin, it’s about 915,000
In Nevada, there are about 660,000 independent workers
Battleground states are won or lost by really tight margins. Swing the independent-contractor vote, and you can swing the election.
Say it with me now, loud enough for even the occasional voters to hear: It’s the side hustle, stupid.
A Future-Looking Vision
Protecting the freedom to freelance is not just a message of now. It’s also a vision for the future that Americans are already saying and showing we support:
20% of Americans who are not currently working as freelancers or independent contractors are interested in this type of work
Among the youngest voters, 18% of Gen Z (ages 12-27) think being a freelancer makes them less likely to be replaced by AI
Older workers are more than twice as likely as younger workers to be self-employed
In the business world, 92% of companies expect to increase their engagement with freelancers in the next two years
By some estimates, freelancers will be more than half the U.S. workforce by 2027
As I write this, we are less than 100 days away from the election. Every single one of those days, tens of millions of Americans will be freelancing or working a side hustle—and watching the news about the economy, and worrying.
The idea that side hustles and freelancing are a safety net is already a message that dominates our daily existence.
Politicians could be speaking specifically to this reality. They could be championing policies that will protect our freedom to freelance. They could be detailing for us all—loudly and proudly—how they will stop the recent attempts at freelance busting and save the option of the side hustle.
A winning haul of independent-contractor votes is there for the taking.
It’s the side hustle, stupid.