> What would the world be like if contract/freelance/part time/short term work were the default?
The problem with this arrangement is the cost of health insurance. Currently, the insurance market heavily favors employer-paid coverage; it's much more expensive for freelancers to buy their own insurance.
With the ACA, this is no longer true, at least in NY. When I was an employee in 2013, my premium healthcare plan cost ~2400 / month for my family. I only paid half of that, but my employer was pying the other half. Now I am contracting and I bought the best plan in the NY exchange which costs ~1700 / month. It has less choice of doctors, but higher % coverage, and the in network list is pretty large. Also, the plans offered to corporate groups have changed a lot and the plan I was on in 2013 is no longer available.
Glad to hear the ACA is helping, but as someone who has little experience with the US healthcare system: Jesus H. Christ. Unless you've got a family of nine, that is a lot of money for health insurance.
The problem with this arrangement is the cost of health insurance. Currently, the insurance market heavily favors employer-paid coverage; it's much more expensive for freelancers to buy their own insurance.