Perhaps because the Mercatus institite is funded by the Koch brothers, the conclusions drawn play up the individual choice and down the forced by economics to do fill in work as a contractor or freelancer. The data shows a growth, but the conclusion doesn't seem to actually link to the anything directly shown by the data.

Didn't know that but you can find other sources with the same data [1][2].

[1] https://qz.com/work/1324292/gig-economy-data-why-the-us-depa...

[2] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/conemp.nr0.htm

There are a lot of people that contract full time for a single client, so that number could still be misleaded. At least to me anyway. I would not consider those people to be freelancing.

Lots of freelancers do it a client at a time, better to have multiple for diversification, but contracting even for a single client is freelancing. The count or length of time doesn't factor into whether you are categorized as a freelancer or contractor, both cannot be dictated to in terms of location, hours or more so essentially it is the same.

Lots of gaming, graphics or software freelancers also do it a project or client at a time and may create products for large markets like the appstores, graphic design storefronts or on OSS/patreon/content platforms so 'single client' is not always clear. But is a contractor that has a 6 month contract with one client a freelancer? Yes.

I read that comment to be in reference to temp workers, seasonal hires, or folks placed by staffing agencies that retain the employee for some period before "perma-hire" versus someone who may be under a 1099 but selling some kind of professional service b2b style.

Very well could be both-but I wonder which group takes majority capacity there.