Sponsored Content — One of the common responses from people working with ride-hailing services such as Uber is that they are drawn to the flexibility and ability to earn extra money.

Cristian Martinez, an Uber driver from Sterling, Virginia, told Washington D.C. Business Daily that driving for Uber has helped him earn extra money, and he appreciates the flexibility and enjoys driving.

"I started driving for Uber to pay off a motorcycle on a part time basis in November of 2017," Martinez said. "Once the motorcycle was paid for, my first son started college. The extra money earned through Uber helped pay for college room and board. I like driving, and I primarily Uber on weekend mornings. I do not know of another part time job with that flexibility."

Flexibility is key for freelance workers such as Martinez, Harvard Business School reported in a study. In the survey of 808 people, 76% of respondents cited flexibility as being highly important, while 69% were attracted by the chance to enhance their income. Ten percent said that losing flexibility would be akin to a 17% pay cut.

Forbes reported that 84% of freelancers said they can enjoy the lifestyle they want thanks to their work, while only 63% of traditional workers said that. Forty-two percent of freelancers said they couldn't work a normal job due to their current life situations.

While the workers appreciate the flexibility, customers are stepping up to take advantage of the services. Uber customers increased from 93 million in 2020 to 118 million last year, Business of Apps reported. The ride-hailing service's drivers completed more than 6 billion trips last year, an average of more than 17 million trips daily by more than 5 million people working as drivers.

The number of freelance workers shows no signs of slowing down, with 86.5 million people expected to make up the freelance workforce by 2027, Fast Company reported. This would account for about half of the total workforce in America. Full-time freelancers made up 28% of the workforce in 2019, and that figure rose to 36% in 2020.