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In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend to hire independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who often focus on their career development.
Quoted from:
The Investopedia Team. (2021, February 4). Gig economy. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp
A gig economy refers to a working arrangement that revolves around individual jobs. In a gig economy, employers utilize short-term contracts instead of long-term employment arrangements. Freelancers or contractors can opt to take these contracts, allowing them to work whenever they choose to do so. In this manner, freelancers are given an unprecedented amount of freedom. However, in exchange, they lose much of the job security associated with traditional forms of employment. Freelancers are never guaranteed that work beyond their immediate contract will be available in the future.
Quoted from:
Biscontini, T. (2020). Gig economy. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
Approximately 150 million people in North America and Western Europe now work as independent contractors, most of them in knowledge-intensive industries and creative occupations. The authors studied 65 of them in depth and learned that although they feel a host of personal, social, and economic anxieties without the cover and support of a traditional employer, they also say they chose independence and wouldn’t give up the benefits that come with it.
Many of these workers have created a “holding environment” for themselves by establishing four connections: (1) place, in the form of idiosyncratic, dedicated workspaces that allow easy access to the tools of their owners’ trades; (2) routines that streamline workflow and incorporate personal care; (3) purpose, to create a bridge between personal interests and motivations and a need in the world; and (4) people to whom they turn for reassurance and encouragement. These connections help independent workers sustain productivity, endure their anxieties, and even turn those feelings into sources of creativity and growth.
Quoted From:
Petriglieri, G., Ashford, S., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2018). Thriving in the gig economy (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 96(2), 140–143. https://ezproxy.skylinecollege.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=128121002&site=ehost-live
Gig workers may do varied tasks, but they have similar things they enjoy—and don’t—about their arrangements.
Freedom to work as they please is what many people like, but with autonomy comes responsibility. For example, it can be stressful for gig workers to ensure that they have consistent income. “When you’re a freelancer, you make the decisions, which is fantastic,” says Theresa Anderson of Las Vegas, Nevada, who does graphic design projects part time from her home. “But it can also be really scary.”
There’s a lot of uncertainty associated with gig work. For example, you’ll need to have a steady stream of gigs to get consistent pay. Even then, the amount you earn may not offset some of the costs you’ll be responsible for outside of a traditional employment relationship, such as benefits.
Quoted from:
Torpey, E. & Hogan, A. (2016, May). Working in a gig economy. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2016/article/what-is-the-gig-economy.htm