Arts Workers in California: Creating a More Inclusive Social Contract to Meet Arts Workers’ and Other Independent Contractors’ Needs

As the economy transforms, more workers find themselves working as independent contractors outside traditional employment structures, without access to social insurance programs and worker protections. Arts workers have been particularly affected by the sector’s reliance on nonstandard work arrangements and by misclassification. By focusing on California, which is at the forefront of misclassification, this report aims to offer a better understanding of arts workers, their working arrangements, and the challenges they face, particularly when working as independent contractors. This information offers a lens to identify policy solutions to create a more inclusive social contract that provides freelance arts workers and other independent contractors with access to fundamental social insurance programs and worker protections.