Not everyone is being negatively affected economic woes.  When the economy suffers, independent workers thrive.

So, who are the independent workers?  In her recent blog post “Shaky Economy be Damned, Say Independent Workers” for smallbiztrends.com, Susan Payton classified them as “freelancers, solopreneurs, consultants and contractors.  If you don’t get paid an annual salary by someone else, we’re talking to you.”

Sara Horwitz is the founder of a nonprofit organization representing the interests and concerns of the independent workforce called Freelancers Union and a prominent spokeswoman for independent workers.  In a recent article for The Atlantic, she pointed out that it is difficult to identify the independent workers in the United States because “after 2005, the government stopped counting independent workers in a meaningful and accurate way.”

Luckily, MBO Partners, a firm dedicated to supporting independent workers, sponsored its first of what promises to be an annual study on “The State of Independence in the Workplace.”

Through this study, the firm attempted to sleuth out just who these independent workers are, and they provided a nifty info graphic:

Sure there may not be a reliable salary or benefits, but there is no shortage of work for independent workers.  In a bad economy, companies have to layoff their experts and specialists, choosing instead to hire independent workers for specific projects. That means “millions of companies and small businesses are searching for the freelancer of their dreams.”

And the evidence suggests that many people actually prefer the lifestyle of an independent worker, and that this class of independent workers constitutes a significant force in the economy.

Freelancer.com, a website devoted to matching independent workers with companies, recently reported that it has surpassed $100 million in user earnings.

In towns like Marin, California, self-employed workers dominate the labor force.

And then there are people like Joe Cain, a former police officer who chose to leave his career in law enforcement to his own website as an independent worker.

There are certainly plenty of resources to help independent workers thrive.  In addition to MBO Partners, the internet abounds with stories and articles on how to get ahead as a freelancer:

365 Online: 11 Tips for Freelance Success

About.com: Freelance Jobs — How to Find Jobs in the Freelance Economy

US News: Mastering the New Freelance Economy
For a photo slideshow:
US News: 10 Ways to Start Earning Extra Money Now