Gig Economy Research Articles (Page 1)

Artificial intelligence (AI), and the use of Generative AI (GenAI) to increase productivity and replace workers has garnered much attention. However, prior to GenAI, the use of algorithms to automate the management of workers, reduce labour costs and increase productivity, was already occurring first in the gig economy and, more recently, in standard employer–employee work arrangements. Through interviews with HR managers, technology vendors and union representatives, this paper explores the use of app-based and AI-driven platforms to automate HR practices in standard work arrangements. More than AI, this paper illustrates the platformisation of work in Australia and the critical new challenges it poses for labour relations.

Does nature need its own gig economy?

ABSTRACT This article explores how male and female Uber drivers in Johannesburg navigate safety and violence within a high‐crime urban context, highlighting the gendered dimensions of digital platform work. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 30 Uber drivers (15 male and 15 female), the study reveals that while all drivers face threats such as hijackings, assaults, and extortion, often linked to tensions with the minibus taxi industry, female drivers experience heightened vulnerabilities due to gendered perceptions of weakness and societal norms around women's safety. These perceptions lead female drivers to adopt restrictive work strategies such as operating only during daylight hours and in familiar areas, which significantly limit their earning potential and reinforce structural gender inequalities in the gig economy. In contrast, male drivers confront territorial violence and extortion, particularly near taxi ranks, but are less constrained in their spatial and temporal mobility. Despite these risks, drivers perceive Uber as relatively safer than competing platforms due to features like card payments and client identification. In response to pervasive threats, male and female drivers employ safety strategies including spatial avoidance, selective rider acceptance, and participation in WhatsApp safety networks. These findings contribute to debates on precarity and platform capitalism by demonstrating how violence, gender, and urban transport dynamics intersect to shape the lived experiences of digital labour. The study advances understanding of how platform workers negotiate safety, highlighting the gendered, precarious, and relational nature of gig work in a high‐crime setting.

During the period of accelerated digitalization and the evolution of the labor market, this study begins to investigate the career development trajectory of young people through the employment perspective of gig work. Existing research literature has mainly focused on the socioeconomic and regulatory aspects of the gig economy; this study seeks to design interdisciplinary research by linking literary analysis literary analysis of the thematic and comparative socioeconomic research. Using Neal Stephenson's science fiction novel Snow Crash as the speculative text base, the study examines how can fictional narrative of the novel resonate with the current gig economy among young people. In accordance with the secondary materials by international institutions, nations' statistics, and scholarly work in 2018-2024, the analysis observes significant Snow Crash modern gig work parallels in the following aspects: platform-dominated task allocation, fractured or fluid professions, and chronic employment insecurity. This paper speculatively views science fiction works like Snow Crash as a rich predictive material, which can be used to interpret emerging work trends and offer warning indicators and conceptual technologies for policy researchers. Lastly, this study contributes to the interdisciplinary field of literary studies and gig economy. It has initiated a foresight on the study of gig work while provided a potential research field for the future.

Oracle HCM Cloud's multiple assignment architecture presents significant implementation challenges for 401K retirement benefit programs, requiring organizations to strategically determine whether configurations should be established at the payroll relationship level or individual assignment level. This article systematically examines the technical, operational, and compliance considerations inherent in 401K implementation within multi-assignment environments, exploring how Oracle's benefits administration framework distinguishes between earnings and deduction elements while positioning 401K elements in a uniquely complex architectural space. The article compares assignment-level implementation, which offers granular control and flexibility for organizations with complex multi-entity structures, against payroll relationship-level configuration, which aligns with Oracle's recommended practices and simplifies administration for consolidated plan structures. The real-world scenarios, including multiple qualified plans across legal entities, mid-year job transitions, and third-party provider integrations, the article demonstrate how configuration decisions carry far-reaching implications for contribution calculation accuracy, regulatory compliance, and administrative efficiency. The article presents evidence-based implementation guidelines emphasizing compliance-driven approaches that prioritize Employee Retirement Income Security Act adherence, systematic decision frameworks based on organizational structure analysis, and flexible architectures capable of accommodating evolving workplace models, including remote work proliferation and gig economy integration, ultimately providing organizations with comprehensive guidance for navigating these complex implementation decisions while satisfying regulatory requirements and operational sustainability objectives.

Aims: The study aims to analyze the socio-demographic and occupational profile of women engaged in gig work and to assess the impact of gig work conditions on their reproductive health outcomes. Study Design: Descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Conducted in urban Tripura and selected Indian states between June to July 2025. Methodology: A purposive sampling method was used to select 50 women gig workers aged 18–45 years engaged in platform-based, freelance, and informal service work. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic variables, occupational factors, and reproductive health indicators. Linear regression and Chi-square tests were applied using SPSS to determine associations between gig work conditions, barriers to healthcare, and reproductive health outcomes. Results: Findings reveal significant effects of healthcare access barriers on women’s reproductive health (p < 0.05). Barriers were strongly correlated with menstrual irregularities, reproductive tract infections, and pregnancy-related complications. Stress and inadequate rest showed significant associations with physical strain and reproductive tract infections. Conclusion: The gig economy offers flexible employment but exposes women to serious health vulnerabilities. Lack of formal labor protections, healthcare access, and social security significantly impact women’s reproductive well-being. Policy intervention is crucial to improve healthcare accessibility and labor rights for women gig workers.

Situated within the debate on the Future of Work, this contribution to the commentary on ‘The global politics of precarity and insecure work’ re-elaborates Lisa Nakamura’s concept of extractive assemblage to argue that the risk of exploitation derived from worker insecurity in the gig economy emanates from a range of interconnected value extractive mechanisms underpinning digital platforms’ operations, despite the differences between their business models. In particular, it discusses the interplay of three types of resources extracted from workers by digital platforms across the Global North and the Global South: labour, data and finance. Through examples from the author’s fieldwork in Kenya and Italy, this article brings a theoretical contribution to this collective commentary on situated and intersectional configurations of precarity by suggesting a framework that extends postcolonial perspectives on extraction. Empirically, it examines how digital platforms reinforce global power imbalances by extracting value from different forms of labour across the Global North and the Global South. It thus illustrates the entanglement of these distinct dimensions to foreground both the similarities and the differences in the multilayered way through which digital platforms in the food delivery and ride-hailing sectors leverage the workers’ legal, algorithmic and financial insecurity to maximise value capture.

Entrepreneurship and the gig economy: Evidence from U.S. tax returns

In Malaysia, the gig economy has grown significantly, about 26% of the workforce, engaged in gig work as of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic has further increased these numbers due to millennials' increasing use of digital platforms and the rise of self-employment. The increased number of gig workers has made the issue of whether gig workers who work full-time and part-time should report their income. The issue arises when gig workers are unaware of whether they should pay taxes or not since some of them only do this job on a part-time basis. This research aims to study the factors influencing tax compliance among gig workers involved in delivery services in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnaires were distributed and answered by the 60 respondents via online survey questionnaires. This study uses the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28.0 for analysis. The results show that tax compliance is highly influenced by tax morale, tax complexity, and tax fairness. However, tax awareness does not significantly impact tax compliance. The findings of this study could provide insights to policymakers and tax authorities in developing targeted policies and actions to encourage compliance among the gig workers.

Background: The gig economy, known for its flexibility, autonomy, and digital opportunities, is reshaping the job market. These characteristics particularly appeal to Generation Z, who are highly digital and form the youngest segment of the workforce. However, differences between genders may exist regarding their intentions to pursue gig work, influenced by distinct motivations, perceived challenges, cultural expectations, and varying access to resources. Purpose: This research explores gender-based disparities in Gen Z’s intentions to participate in gig employment. It examines key motivators—including independence, financial adaptability, and opportunities for skill acquisition—as well as obstacles such as employment uncertainty, safety issues, and societal attitudes. Method: A quantitative survey gathered responses from 200 Gen Z individuals (both male and female, aged 18–26) studying or starting their careers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 areas across Telangana. Data analysis involved statistical tools to highlight gender differences driving gig work intentions. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes survey data, the study also employs the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as its central framework. Scale reliability and validity were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Independent samples t-tests and multi-group analysis within the PLS-SEM framework further examined gender-based variations in relevant constructs and tested the study’s hypotheses. Conclusion: The analysis reveals a significant gender gap in gig work intention, with men demonstrating a markedly higher inclination to participate than women. This disparity is not superficial but is deeply rooted in divergent motivations and barriers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is confirmed to be a valid framework for understanding these differences, as gender is shown to be a crucial moderating variable. Results point to notable gender distinctions: although both men and women value flexibility, men are more drawn by entrepreneurial ambitions, while women are more concerned about income insecurity, safety, and social acceptance. The study offers actionable insights for policymakers, digital platform developers, and educators seeking to promote gender equity in the gig workforce. It concludes with strategic suggestions to strengthen targeted support systems, build trust in gig platforms, and encourage sustained engagement in gig work. Implications: These findings highlight the importance for stakeholders—including policymakers, platform operators, and educators—to adopt gender-responsive approaches. Attention should be given to women’s needs for financial stability, personal safety, and societal validation, while also nurturing entrepreneurship and skill growth for all. Such initiatives can foster a more balanced and inclusive gig workforce, especially in emerging regions like Telangana. Novelty: What sets this research apart is its focus on Generation Z in non-metropolitan India and its use of gender-specific analysis to uncover intricate psychological and cultural drivers behind gig work participation. Utilizing rigorous methods and providing practical recommendations, this study bridges crucial knowledge gaps and offers a clear pathway for promoting equitable participation in the digital labour economy.

ABSTRACT The rapid expansion of gig economy platforms has amplified the dependence on algorithmic systems to allocate work, evaluate performance, and personalize user experiences. Workers rely on algorithms for task allocation, compensation, and performance evaluation, whereas the customers expect seamless service delivery. Despite benefits, the opaque algorithmic systems can aggravate inequalities by reinforcing bias with limiting accountability. The dependence on algorithmic management introduces risks of bias, unfair treatment, and ethical concerns of data usage. This paper examines the intersection of algorithmic bias and data ethics within gig platforms, focusing on three stakeholder groups: workers, consumers, and platforms. A conceptual framework has been presented to illustrate how fairness, trust, and responsible data governance can be achieved by balancing transparency and accountability for the three stakeholders. The study offers actionable insights for policymakers, platform designers, and worker groups. The propped framework can help in the design of interpretable, privacy-enhancing AI based systems that can boost the accountability and well-being within the gig economy.

Purpose. To clarify the essence and consequences of digital transformation of employment in the context of post-industrial transformations, to identify key factors influencing the structure, forms, and dynamics of employment in the digital economy, and to subsequently develop a methodological approach to analyzing these changes based on cognitive modeling. Methodology. The study uses cognitive modeling as an interdisciplinary tool for analyzing the transformation of employment in the digital economy. The methodological basis is a systematic approach to identifying and formalizing complex cause-and-effect relationships between economic, technological, socio-demographic, and institutional factors that determine changes in the structure of the labor market. The modeling process uses an expert analytical knowledge base that provides a representative reflection of current transformation trends, in particular the dynamics of the formation of new forms of employment (gig economy, remote work) and the gradual reduction of traditional forms of labor participation. This approach allows for the effective study of insufficiently structured or poorly formalized processes characteristic of rapid digitalization. Findings. A cognitive model of employment transformation has been developed, which visualizes the interrelationships between the main factors of digitalization and structural changes in the labor market. The key influences of technological progress on changes in labor demand, professional mobility, the dynamics of the emergence of new professions, and the transformation of labor relations have been identified. The model allows forming scenarios for the development of employment in the digital economy and adapt labor market policies to new challenges. Originality. The feasibility of using cognitive modeling as a tool for studying employment transformation is substantiated, which provides a deeper understanding of structural changes in the labor market in the context of digitalization. A conceptual model has been developed that combines technological, social and economic aspects of post-industrial changes and allows predicting their impact on employment, identifying hidden relationships and creating a basis for making strategic management decisions. Practical value. The results of the study can be used to improve employment management strategies in the context of the digital transformation of the economy. The proposed cognitive model of the digital transformation of employment allows us to identify key factors that determine the dynamics of changes in the structure of the labor market. Along with this, it can be used to assess the risks and potential of automation in various sectors of the economy, to model employment development scenarios depending on the level of digitalization. The practical application of the results of cognitive modeling will allow us to form more effective employment policy directions that can ensure flexibility, social sustainability and competitiveness of the national labor market in the long term.

Driven by digital technology, the gig economy is reshaping labour markets in developing Asian cities, where location-based workers—such as drivers, couriers, and domestic helpers—form a major share and play a key role in social and economic development of the region. However, this flexible work model also brings many challenges, such as unstable income, unsafe working conditions, and limited access to social protection, which increase workers’ vulnerabilities. These issues raise questions about whether gig workers can participate in and remain in this labour market sustainably. This study uses a systematic review with the PRISMA method, combined with qualitative content analysis, to explore the factors affecting Asian gig workers. The results show that workers are affected by three main groups of factors: (1) platform technology and algorithms, (2) policies and legal frameworks, and (3) workers’ efforts to adapt and resist. These factors interact in complex ways, shaping both the risks and opportunities. Based on these findings, this study suggests policy measures to improve social protection, limit platform power, and promote a fairer and more sustainable gig economy. The goal is to reduce workers’ vulnerability while supporting the contributions of location-based gig workers, ensuring that their work is safer and more sustainable in the rapidly changing digital labour market.

ABSTRACT This paper explores how migrant women in India negotiate their way through the racialized occupation, algorithmic control, and patriarchal household to survive and sustain in a digitized economy. Drawn from Marxist Feminist theory, it proposes to see women labour as continuum between home and workplace, blurring the rigid compartmentalization. This paper argues women use their embodied labour (racial aesthetic, emotions), community networks to bargain leisure (own space) and use it further for social production and reproduction. The study highlights how intimate subsidies (sacrifices and compensation) mask the structural exploitation of women's labour and how silent yet profound resilience can be built with the assistance of state and local communities.

ABSTRACT Based on self-consistency theory and conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the impact of multiple professional identities on the intention to engage in fast-paced travel. Across six studies, the results indicate the following. First, compared to a single professional identity, multiple professional identities are more likely to enhance tourists’ intention to engage in fast-paced travel. Second, multiple professional identities may increase tourists’ self-alienation, which in turn enhances their need for self-expression, ultimately strengthening their intention to engage in fast-paced travel. Finally, motivations for engaging in multiple professions play a moderating role. Specifically, compared to those with self-transcendence motivation, individuals with self-enhancement motivation show a stronger indirect effect of multiple professional identities on their intention to engage in fast-paced travel. Grounded in the gig economy context, this study offers a novel theoretical perspective on fast-paced travel by introducing the concept of multiple professional identities.

The rapid aging of population in low- and middle-income countries, their economic disadvantages, and the increase in Alzheimer's disease related dementia point to a need to understand cognitive aging of disadvantaged individuals. This research considers the effects of education, occupational complexity, and cognitive engagement on late-life cognitive performance, and how these may vary by economic sector. We analyze data from the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) linked to O*NET (Occupational Information Network) and social security administrative data. We constructed a lifetime occupational complexity index using information on workers' cognitive abilities for males 60 or older with normal cognitive function. We found a higher level of education, degree of occupational complexity, and cognitive engagement for formal-sector workers than for informal-sector ones. For both groups of workers, education, occupational complexity, and cognitive engagement are associated with late-life cognitive health. Yet, occupational complexity was associated with higher late-life cognitive health for informal-sector workers than for formal-sector ones. This study, the first to analyze the role of informal-sector work in shaping late-life cognitive health, highlights the relevance of occupation for cognitive health. Our findings are relevant for both developing countries with large shares of workers in the informal sector and developed ones with ethnic minorities and growing proportions of workers in the "gig economy."

Purpose In the evolving digital era, marked by the gig economy and remote work, the dynamics between individuals and their jobs have profound implications for employees' job embeddedness. This study provides an up-to-date and comprehensive meta-analysis of the effects of job embeddedness on work and non-work outcomes, thereby offering strategic insights into talent management during this new era of opportunities and challenges. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted using a dataset of 272 effect sizes derived from 250 articles (N = 111,592) to examine the relationships between job embeddedness and its outcomes. Meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) was employed to test the hypothesized mediating mechanisms. Findings The results reveal significant effects of job embeddedness on most work and non-work outcomes. Additionally, the study identifies key moderating factors that shape these relationships, highlighting variations based on cultural, demographic, and research design factors. Mediation tests further show that job satisfaction and job stress serve as critical pathways through which on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness influence employee outcomes. Originality/value This study advances job embeddedness research by systematically integrating existing findings and resolving inconsistencies through meta-analysis. By differentiating the effects of on-the-job, off-the-job, and occupational embeddedness and uncovering moderating and mediating processes, it offers novel insights into the mechanisms underlying job embeddedness and its impact in the contemporary work landscape.

Classic financial services underwriting has traditionally been based on heuristic rules and logistic regression scorecards. Such models are transparent but are stiff, static, and in many cases not able to reflect the intricacy of borrower conduct in today's dynamic, data-abundant environments. As digital ecosystems grow, the limitations of legacy strategies are all the more apparent: thin-file customers continue to be left out, new types of behavioral and transactional data continue to go untapped, and decision-making systems grapple with balancing predictive accuracy against fairness and transparency. This article proposes the idea of Hybrid Underwriting Intelligence—a strategy that combines human judgment, regulatory intent, and machine intelligence into one cohesive, adaptive framework. The Hybrid Underwriting Intelligence Framework (HUIF) integrates Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods like Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), and Testing with Concept Activation Vectors (TCAV) with human-in-the-loop monitoring and privacy-protection strategies like federated learning. The framework further proposes the Credit Digital Twin—a model simulation that stress-tests underwriting systems under different economic conditions. Comparative assessments illustrate the superiority of hybrid systems compared to traditional heuristics in predictive performance, flexibility, and comprehensiveness while satisfying regulatory conditions on transparency and fairness. They are applied across lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), gig economy credit, and hidden/invisible finance models like Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL). The underwriting of the future will be hybrid: blending the speed and accuracy of machine learning with the contextual human judgment and ethical governance of human decision-makers. Institutions that use this model will not only increase access to credit but also enhance resilience and public confidence in financial decision-making.

Purpose This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the gig economy, focusing on its evolving landscape, key contributors and significant themes by linking the connections from the past to the present using systematic analysis. Design/methodology/approach This study used 657 relevant publications from the Scopus database through a systematic search strategy, meticulous data cleaning and standardisation. This bibliometric analysis used biblioMagika®, OpenRefine, R-Biblioshiny and IIP Maps to portray the findings. Findings This study reveals the patterns of publications, most productive authors, countries, articles and emerging themes in the gig economy. It emphasises that the peak of the pattern was in 2022; the most influential authors were from the UK; the USA led the most published countries; and the highest cited article had 722 cites. Co-occurrence analysis revealed the key themes, including labour regulation, algorithmic management and digital platforms. This study also highlighted the impact of pandemics on gig work and the growing focus on gig worker’s well-being. Research limitations/implications This study relies only on Scopus database publications, which may not cover all the research areas. Yet the findings will have implications for academicians, policymakers and industry practitioners who are developing frameworks and strategies. Originality/value This study maps the intellectual landscape, highlights current key research areas, to offers recommendations concerning areas for future research through key themes. The originality lies in its systematic approach to bibliometric analysis, which provides valuable insights into the gig economy’s discourse.

This article examines the sociological phenomenon of the transformation of wedding rituals in the era of digitalization and the experience economy, relying on the "WedVibes Wedding Market Trends Report" as a key empirical source. The relevance of the research is driven by the fact that the wedding in the 21st century has lost its status as an exclusively institutional ritual and has turned into a complex mediatized project. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the interdisciplinary conceptualization of the modern wedding ritual as a media project embedded in the digital ecosystem and the gig economy. For the fi rst time in the academic field, a set of trends — multi-day formats, visual digitalization, personalization, the emergence of new professions (wedding content creator, fashion stylist) — is systematically analyzed as interconnected manifestations of the new logic of the "experience economy". The research demonstrates how the very authenticity to which young couples aspire is ultimately transformed into a fabricated reality, presented as a commodity in the digital realm through replication via social media. The key fi ndings indicate that the wedding is no longer viewed as a rite of passage but rather as an overly personalized, multilayered consumer experience based on the production of emotions, the formation of symbolic value, and the accumulation of social capital. This restructuring is also paralleled by a restructuring of the industry, where generalists are threatened by highly specialized freelancers and niche services. The event itself is now being restructured in accordance with the logic of various types of media projection — it must be oriented not only towards those present but also towards the average visually receptive digital audience, designed for presence. From a practical standpoint, this article will be of interest to wedding industry professionals who, along with researchers in sociology, cultural studies, and media, are adapting their strategies to a changing market.