gig economy

noun

: economic activity that involves the use of temporary or freelance workers to perform jobs typically in the service sector

One reason the gig economy has taken off: People tend to change jobs more frequently and many enjoy the flexibility of choosing when and where they work.

—Marcia Pledger

While they are still able to work, boomers will be a big part of a subset of the sharing economy that is sometimes called the "gig economy." Gigs are what they sound like: assignments, contracts or part-time jobs.

—Linda Nazareth

Examples of gig economy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Digital payment systems, the gig economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic have accelerated this trend. —Mark Bender, Harvard Business Review, 27 Jan. 2026

Colleen Thiry, director of TransUnion’s gig economy business, says the company made a point of presenting the results in a neutral way. —Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

But since the mid-1990s, an expanding tech industry and work-from-anywhere gig economy jobs have attracted new residents to this city at the edge of the Rocky Mountains. —Amiee White Beazley, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2026

Typically, quarterly payments apply to income without tax withholdings, such as earnings from self-employment, freelancing or gig economy work. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

gig entry 1

First Known Use

2009, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gig economy

• deuteronomy
• aeronomy
• agronomy
• astronomy
• autonomy
• gastronomy
• metonymy
• taxonomy