I find myself increasingly concerned about the economy lately–not just becuase it’s bad for everyone when recession hits, but more selfishly, for myself, a self-employed writer.

Granted, I do not run a restaurant located next to the GM plant (thank goodness) or hold stock in Bear Stearns, but nonetheless, I find myself worrying about financial security as the nation’s purse strings collectively tighten.

But should I be more worried or less worried than my salaried peers? I’m not sure. When there’s less budget to spend, do companies layoff staff and move to contractors or they keep staff and get rid of the contractors?

My friend Jim Carroll, a trends and innovation expert, told me this winter that his research indicated that young people increasingly feel that working for themselves is more secure than working for a company. And recently, he wrote about the increasingly independent nature of professionals.

“60% of engineers and architects are expected to be working on a contingent basis by 2012,” he writes. “That’s a huge number — and is indicative of our onward march to a massively nomadic workforce.”

Reading Jim’s posts always make me feel better–he’s been incredibly successful and is an enthusiastic proponent of working for yourself. (He’s been doing it for almost 20 years.) He has also reminded me about the global nature of today’s marketplace and that people like me really stand to benefit from it. So, with Jim’s advice in mind, I remind myself that unlike many of my peers, I am used to hustling for work, being interviewed and chasing after assignments. Nevertheless, it’s a bit nerve wracking.

Do you work for yourself? Are you worried about financial stability as the economy dips? Is it better to work for yourself in recession (as a service provider, not a restaurant owner) or secure yourself a salary? Comment away!

Photo: www.SocialTechnologies.com

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