Who knew? A recent study predicted that by 2020, 40 per cent of American workers would be independent contractors. We’re told the switch to gig work is first and foremost about employers moving to what is efficient for them. Here in Canada, 85 per cent of companies recently surveyed figured they will increasingly move to an “agile workforce” over the next few years. It’s part of a “gig economy”.

The “gig economy” is an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. For lumber types, this may conjure images of portable sawmills and seasonal workers in the woods. For some lumber traders, the concept smacks of impermanence and flies in the face of marketing effectiveness that pays homage to building longterm relationships. Even so, the gig economy finds shared identity in today’s world of transactional strategies and realpolitik.

~Tricks and Treats~

The coldest air of the season is flowing into Western Canada today, but a beautiful starry night’s in store for Vancouver this evening. At our house, pretty sure we’ve managed to turn our pumpkin inventory 8 times since Labour Day. A quick check of the 25 Horribly Inappropriate Halloween Costumes for Kids confirms Dorothy, Toto, and this Dad are all good to go. Happy Halloween!