Would You Work a “Gig” in Today’s Shifting Economy?
By Beyond
The gig economy in the U.S. has grown rapidly in recent years, with more workers taking on freelance, independent contractor and other non-traditional jobs. Within this new landscape exists a growing number of opportunities with on-demand companies, such as driving for Uber or performing jobs through TaskRabbit. With the freedom to act as your own boss and work flexible hours, you’d think people would be jumping to pursue these non-traditional employment opportunities. Most people, however, continue to prefer the stability of traditional jobs.
A recent survey conducted by Beyond found that only 32% of respondents would definitely consider working for an on demand company. The desire for consistent income and benefits are the biggest factors leading people to prefer traditional jobs.
An overwhelming consensus of job seekers (79%) believe on-demand companies should consider their workers for entitled legal rights and benefits under certain conditions, with 47% of respondents saying they deserve official employee status no matter what, and 32% saying they should be considered official employees if working more than 40 hours per week.
While on-demand companies create new and interesting opportunities for workers, for many it might not be the ideal career choice unless the classic accompaniments of the traditional workplace are provided. When asked what they found to be least appealing about working for an on-demand company, job seekers said: no job security/guaranteed income (53%), no health benefits (28%) and that working jobs could be dangerous (12%).
Other findings from the survey show:
Gigs are still resume-worthy. When asked if job seekers would include an on-demand job on a resume, 52% said they would if the job enhanced their experience regardless of relevance to their field, and 38% said they would only if the job was relevant to their field.
Younger workers are leading the charge. Segmented by generation, Millennials were most receptive to working as an independent contractor to make money while they searched for a new job (50%), compared to 40% of Gen Xers and 38% of Baby Boomers.
Millennials challenge the ‘lazy’ stereotype to earn extra income. Segmented by generation, Millennials were most receptive to earning money as an independent contractor in addition to their normal paycheck (32%), compared to 26% of Gen Xers and 24% of Baby Boomers.
We all love the flexibility that the gig economy offers, but most job seekers still appreciate the stability of a full-time position. On a positive note, businesses are bound to take notice of the growing demand for a greater work/life balance, and will evolve to eventually create the best of both worlds.
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