Save Me A Seat: The Rise Of Shared Work Spaces

With 50 per cent of the US workforce expected to be freelancing by 2020, co-working communities are booming. Welcome to your new office.

By Natalie Cornish

Leadership

With 50 per cent of the US workforce expected to be freelancing by 2020, co-working communities are booming. Welcome to your new office.

By Natalie Cornish

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Just a decade ago, office work mostly looked like this: eight hours at an assigned desk with co-workers from the same company who clocked on and off at roughly the same time each day. Then the 2008 Global Financial Crisis hit and the digital labour force moved in.

Freelancers, contractors and temporary workers now make up one-third of the US labour market, according to JWT Intelligence. By 2020 this will increase to 50 per cent, Forbes predicts, and 78 per cent of these “digital nomads” are aged under 40. This modern workforce no longer considers a nine-to-five proposition the epitome of success. Even work-life balance has been pushed aside, in favour of working on something of value and on their terms. “Wifi, strong coffee and a sense of community” is top of their priority list, and co-working spaces are delivering.

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