(Sponsored Content) – One of the reasons that gig work continues to grow in popularity is the low barrier of entry, which allows workers to obtain employment without needing special skills.
"My story is I was a sub teacher and I was a sub for like close to seven to eight years, I want to say," said Eddie Terry, a part-time Uber driver from Wheatley Heights, told New York Business Daily. "Every summer I had to hustle to find a job, and it was one summer I didn’t find one. One of the worst summers I’ve ever had, and then another summer I think I just started noticing Ubers and was like, ‘Let me give them a try.’"
According to a study by Valeria Pulignano titled "Work and Employment Under the Gig Economy," digital labor platforms allows for those seeking work to be better matched with skills and working conditions that facilitates work participation. Digital labor platforms further allow an array of individuals to find employment despite personal challenges, lack of higher education or training, disabilities, family or prior commitments, long-term unemployed or being retired.
Forbes reports that 84% of full-time freelancers say their work lets them live the lifestyle they want, compared to 63% of full-time traditional workers. Another 42% said they prefer gig work because traditional jobs have barriers including scheduled hours, set locations, restrictions on appearance, set income, and more that makes holding a traditional job difficult. The gig economy has lowered these barriers to open up the labor force to the majority of workers.
"I like the flexibility for driving Uber. I'm a single parent and I like to be able to log out if I need to attend to my kids or run an errand or do anything else pertaining to my other business," Princess Monteiro, a full-time Uber driver from New York City, said.
Upwork reports that about 12% of the U.S. workforce began taking gig work during the pandemic. The most frequently stated reasons that these workers give for starting freelance jobs include financial stability during the recession (75%) and necessity (54%).
In 2020, the pandemic-related shutdowns and health concerns caused a decrease in available employment at traditional workplaces and businesses, but gig work was still available. As gig workers, people could still get jobs delivering groceries and performing other essential services. Impacts from the pandemic caused remote gig work grew dramatically, people began selling crafts and built personal businesses using gig digital platforms to obtain an income while being unable work.
According to a 2018 Gallup poll, "Independent gig workers (such as online platform workers and independent contractors) experience high levels of work-life balance, flexibility, autonomy, meaningful feedback and creative freedom. In fact, they score much higher on all these factors compared with traditional workers and other types of gig workers."