Sponsored content — The gig economy is a rapidly growing sector of the workforce due to people voluntarily or involuntarily leaving traditional jobs where the expectation is to work for one employer for as long as possible and receive company benefits.
Being an Uber driver is a popular option for gig workers, offering freedom, flexibility, and no one to boss you around.
“I usually do Saturdays and Sundays,” picking up the nighttime party crowd, Gyula - aka Julius – Moldvan, a part-time Uber driver from Central Jersey, N.J., told New Jersey Business Daily. “I like those hours. I like those five to six hours at night. And I prefer the Saturday-Sunday crowd. Being only an hour away from the Jersey Shore, it's not that much travel time for me to go there and then come home. At those hours there's like nobody really on the road.”
Christian Sota, an Uber driver from the Jersey Shore prefers the day shift. "I usually work seven days a week, but I try to do the day shifts,” he said. “I'll work as much as I can during the day to avoid late night and when I don't have anything going on with my concrete. That’s when I usually drive.”
A study of the independent workforce called “Freelancing in America” surveyed 6,000 U.S. workers over age 18 and estimates 57 million Americans freelance, with most viewing it as a long-term career path. The study also showed that 53% of Gen Z workers (ages 18-22) freelance.
The lifestyle that comes with freelancing is deemed more attractive than a traditional job where someone needs permission from the boss or to wait for vacation to accomplish personal business during work hours. According to a Forbes report, 84% of full-time freelancers say their work lets them live the lifestyle they want compared to 63% of full-time traditional workers.
Additionally, 42% of freelancers said they would not be able to do a traditional job due to life circumstances.
Flexibility is a major plus for working in the gig economy. Airtasker conducted a YouGov survey that found 70% Gen Zers embrace the "flexible economy" because it allows them to set their own hours, scope, and fees. The survey also found that when making career choices, 33% are influenced by monetizing skills or hobbies and 52% are influenced by flexibility with 36% wanting the freedom to work from anywhere.
A 2018 Gallup poll confirmed gig workers have balanced lives. Independent gig workers (such as online platform workers and independent contractors) experience high levels of flexibility, autonomy, meaningful feedback, and creative freedom. The poll suggests they score much higher on all these factors compared with traditional workers and other types of gig workers.