The rise of the gig economy

It’s now estimated that approximately 5 million people in the UK are employed as gig workers (short-term contracts or freelance work). A recent study found that a whopping 90% of companies are currently using a mixture of freelance workers and employees to work on projects together. So why has the gig economy grown so much recently?

Take a look at US taxi firm Uber as the perfect example of why. They are currently one of the largest gig-economy firms in the US. Their independent contracting staff set their own hours and use their own cars. The reason they have attracted so many drivers is because workers want flexible schedules and like being in control of their working time.

Uber commissioned a survey recently and found that 87% of their drivers said they worked with Uber because they liked being their own boss and setting their own schedule. They also liked the flexibility of the work and appreciated the work life balance.  Their drivers included parents and students who have other responsibilities in their lives so they can schedule work around their regular commitments.

In the past 5 years, the gig economy has become a major trend in employment and it is believed that at least 40% of the global workforce will be freelancers in the next few years. And we can understand why. For the workers, it provides much more flexibility along with control over when and where they work and how often. It can really help workers who have other commitments outside of work or prefer to work from home. And for businesses, they can easily and quickly access workers for short-term projects. It’s a simple way of seeking professionals with specific skills that they might be lacking in their existing workforce.

So if you are a gig worker, or are considering using gig workers in your business please get in touch. We would love to connect you with the right people and offer you our range of recruitment services.