gig economy

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a labour market structure characterised by short-term contracts, freelance work, and on-demand employment arrangements mediated by digital platforms rather than by traditional long-term employer-employee relationships, in which workers are typically classified as independent contractors and bear all the economic risks and administrative burdens of self-employment while performing services directed and monitored by platform operators; the gig economy encompasses ride-sharing drivers, food delivery couriers, freelance digital workers, and task-based service providers who trade employment security, benefits, and labour protections for flexibility and platform-mediated access to a continuous stream of micro-engagements