Women constitute abouttwo-thirds of those misclassified as jobless, and almost half ofthe people are 15 to 24 years old, according to the report. (Photo:Shutterstock)

The hardest people to pin down in America's labor market may bethe gig workers: How many hours do they put in,where, and just how many are out there?

The Labor Department, in a report Wednesday, said there area lot more than thought: at least 657,000 andas many as 4.6 million more people earning income but not countedas employed, according to an analysis of data spanning 2012 to2016. Their labor — which includes babysitting, basket weaving, andlisting items online for sale — if counted as jobs, would increasetotal employment by between 0.4 percent and 3 percent.

Related: The evolution of the gig economy

That means the labor market is potentially tighter than thecurrent 48-year low in unemployment indicates. It also may be moreprecarious: Gig workers — who include independent contractors,on-call workers and those working for third-party contractors —tend to lack the stability offered by employer-provided healthinsurance or retirement plans.

The Labor Department calculated the figures by looking beyondthe Current Population Survey — which produces the monthlyunemployment rate — to the American Time Use Survey, which asksmore broadly about activities a person does for pay. That mightcapture more people who don't consider such activities to be “work”or a “job.”

Women constitute about two-thirds of those misclassified asjobless, and almost half of the people are 15 to 24 years old,according to the report.

The Labor Department also estimated that 413,000 to 2.9 millionpeople are classified as having one job when they could be countedas multiple jobholders because they earn additional income fromother activities. That would increase the number of multiplejobholders by as much as 21 percent.

Read more: 

• Jobless rate hits 48-year low
• Despite strong economy, many Americans still workmultiple jobs
• Tough recruiting sees state, local governmentshiring gig workers

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