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Whether you like it or not, the labor landscape has shifted. Over the last few years the idea of working until retirement at the same company, staying in the office 8 hours a day is gone. We’re living in a time when companies are rewarded when they disrupt old ways to create new models that drive success. One of the biggest trends in this disruption culture is gig economy, it helps to match the talent pool gap and get on-demand professionals in an easy and efficient way. The gig economy is truly revolutionizing the worldwide economy and the way we think about employment. According to Peter Miscovich, Managing Director, Strategy + Innovation, JLL Consulting in New York, gig workers will comprise the workforce and as much as 80% by 2030.
What is a gig economy?
A gig economy is a market system in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. In the gig economy, instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the “gigs” they do, such as food delivery or a car journey. Proponents of the gig economy claim that people can benefit from flexible hours, with control over how much time they can work as they juggle other priorities in their lives. Another real advantage of the gig economy is that workers can use it on a temporary basis when they face shortfalls in income from their primary employment, or when they experience unexpected expenditures. Variety in work is another appealing benefit for gig workers; whether in the types of people they meet or the kind of work they do. They never live the same day twice. For people who don’t enjoy the sometimes repetitive nature of long-term jobs, routine, this can be a real positive.
At the same time businesses save resources in terms of benefits, office space and training, they have the ability to contract with experts for specific projects who might be too high-priced to maintain on staff. Also, large and mid-size companies use gig workers to meet seasonal demands.
Gig economy statistics & facts
Gen X-ers are more likely to rely exclusively on gig work for income. Baby boomers usually have high degrees and are retired, they use on-demand service platforms to make money they may not be getting in retirement. Millennials use it as a side gig way to pay off debt. Both millennials and boomers say they enjoy the flexibility offered by gig economy jobs.
A combination of surveys from Intuit and LinkedIn tell us why people are in favor of gig economy:
- A portfolio of clients is more reliable than a single employer
- Earn more money and supplement income
- Create and control their own work and schedules
- Enhanced work and life balance
A significant majority of gig workers enjoy their work:
- Highly-satisfied freelancers and gig economy workers
- Satisfied freelancers and gig economy workers
- Dissatisfied freelancers and gig economy workers
- Other
Ironically, the term “gig economy” isn’t actually preferred by the majority of gig workers. According to Upwork, 49% prefer “freelance economy,” 25% prefer “on-demand economy,” and 13% prefer “sharing economy.” “Gig economy” was preferred by only 10%.
According to TeamStage, “the latest gig economy statistics show the greater flexibility, control, and — in some cases — higher earnings have an undeniable appeal“.
Main Gig economy players
Uber
If there is one company that has come to represent the gig economy, it is Uber. The first one that pops out in your mind, right? It lets you use your personal vehicle to start earning money through its Uber Partners app. This is a very flexible platform that allows you to choose when and where you drive and set your own schedule.
Turo has taken a different approach to use your vehicle to earn money, you rent it. Based on the market value, location, time of year, and other data, it will dynamically set your car’s rental price. You get 65 to 85 percent of the trip price, depending on the protection plan you select. And the company screens travelers before they get in your car to provide an added level of security.
What Uber does for your car, Airbnb makes possible for your property. Whether it is a single room or your entire apartment, you can use this app to rent it with a free listing.
OneFineStay improves on Airbnb by preparing your home just like a hotel with clean linens and more. This service caters to high-end customers and it ensures the service by greeting guest when they arrive, checking identities, key handling and insurance.
This is a great idea for parents that are very busy. HopSkipDrive is a service for kids that uses carefully vetted drivers with a proven background and five years of experience.
A parking space is a premium product in many major cities across the country. ParkingPanda is an app that brings owners and customers together seamlessly. You can post a free listing with the app to start earning cash whenever anyone books your space.
As a Postmates worker, you will be delivering dry cleaning, grocery, food from restaurants, coffee from Starbucks and more. You can use your car, motorcycle, truck or even a bicycle to make the deliveries. Delivery people make 80 percent of delivery fee and 100 percent of tips, with $10 referrals for users and employees.
You can now deliver packages from Amazon and make $18-$25 per hour. Amazon Flex lets you set your own schedule using the company’s app and make as much or little deliveries as you want seven days a week.
HelloTech gives experts in the tech industry a platform to provide services for individuals in their homes and businesses. Computer repair and tech support, music, entertainment, games, smart homes, networking, Internet and other services are available.
The Dolly service uses people that have vehicles for moving, or movers to do the heavy lifting if they don’t have a vehicle. Movers can choose the jobs they want to do and can earn on average $30 per hour or higher. Price is set up front and movers get paid weekly.
If you are a chef and want to host meals and you are a foodie looking for great chef, Feastly is a platform that brings them both together. The company says it has culinary talents that are great home cooks and Michelin starred chefs.
Glovo is an on-demand service that purchases, picks-up and delivers anything that is ordered through the app. The service is carried out in less than an hour by independent couriers, called Glovers.
Lyft is an app that matches drivers with passengers and enables payment automatically. Drivers enjoy being their own boss and keeping 100% of their tips.
An on-demand staffing platform. Wonolo connects talents with immediate hourly or daily jobs from the biggest and best brands, allowing you to work where you want, when you want, for whomever you want.
With Bellhops, you can start earning money by providing friendly local moving services. Bellhops are professional and provide exceptional service while making moving day less stressful for customers.
Care.com gives you the opportunity to provide child care, adult and senior care, pet care, and home care to customers who are looking for caregivers in your area.
DoorDash is a food delivery app that helps Dashers deliver food from top restaurants to customers in your area.
Handy is the gig economy app for cleaners and handymen. Clients who want assistance around the house will connect with you using the web or an iOS or Android device, and you can start earning up to $22/hour as a cleaner or $45/hour as a handyman.
Moonlighting is a gig economy app for freelance workers. You can browse local or remote jobs and services and get hired faster with Moonlighting.
Rentah makes it easy for you to rent out your goods and services to earn money. You choose what to rent within your community, and you set the value of your items while renting on your schedule.
Roadie is a fast, inexpensive, and simple way for people to get their stuff where it needs to be. Roadie drivers choose the jobs you want to create the schedule you want while earning cash.
Rover is a gig economy app that gives you the opportunity to spend time with four-legged friends and earn cash. You can be a pet sitter in your own home, a dog walker, or a house sitter, or you can provide drop-in visits while the pet owner is away.
Wingz is the gig economy app that helps you become riders’ favorite driver. This peer-to-peer marketplace helps personal drivers earn extra cash by driving full or part-time, managing your own schedule, and accepting only the rides you want to provide.
goPuff, the app that delivers snacks, drinks, ice cream, house stuff, and basically anything you’d find in a convenience store – except they deliver it right to your door super quick, day or night, in over 35 cities across the United States.
I hope you found this article useful! If you would like to add other Gig companies that are not listed here, feel free to mention them in the comments section below!
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2 Comments
James Norwell
You’re missing Veryable on this list. On-demand labor platform for manufacturing, distribution, and logistics companies. Companies post daily and hourly jobs and workers get to choose where, when, and how often they want to work.
Aston Robinson
You missed Phlatbed on here. On-demand consumer logistics.