The gig economy has been growing fast in the U.S., with the nonemployer “ride and room” sharing industries making up a significant share of the growth, especially in the country’s largest metro areas.

Key findings

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“Uber and Lyft were running in many of the 50 metros’ principal cities by 2012 and in most of them by 2013. Airbnb was operating in all of the metros by 2012.”

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Nonemployer firms in the U.S. have been growing over the past couple decades, the total number of “businesses” has gone from 15 million in 1997, to 22 million in 2007 and then to 24 million in 2014, making them increasingly important to the economy.

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“Between 2010 and 2014, nonemployer firms in ride-sharing grew by 69 percent while payroll employment grew by just 17 percent.”

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“Nonemployer firms have been growing at a faster pace in the rooms business than has payroll employment, particularly after 2008 when Airbnb launched.”

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