When demand exceeds the supply of available IT talent, many companies are using contractors to help fill the gaps. IT contractors provide manpower when workloads spike and can bring key expertise and skills to a team. (See related story, Life as an IT contractor)

Across all fields (not just IT), independent workers are on the rise, according to MBO Partners, which provides back-office services to self-employed professionals. The number of independent workers is forecast to reach 40 million in 2019, up from 30 million today. Over the last four years, the independent workforce has grown 12.5% — greatly outpacing the 1.1% growth in the overall U.S. labor force, MBO asserts.

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