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Business, Freelance and Work  How Freelance Became the New
9-to-5  A couple decades ago, freelancers and 9-to-5 workers
lived in different universes. Freelancers were creative,
entrepreneurial types. Salaried workers were sensible family
people. Those with steady jobs had health insurance, a 401(k),
and a paycheck that was the same every two weeks. Freelancers
were constantly chasing the next check, but they had a flexible
schedule and the intangible luxury of being their own bosses. 
Nowadays, "freelance work," defined by the IRS as any kind of
contract or temporary employment, isn't just for adventurous
hustlers. All too often, it's the only work we can get. As bleak
as our generation's unemployment numbers are, they don't reflect
those of us who are living hand-to-mouth on "gigs"—a three-month
production assistant job here, a one-time writing assignment
there—while we look for the elusive full-time position.
Meanwhile, industries known for c