gig worker

noun

plural gig workers

: a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer : a worker in the gig economy

Gig workers have freedoms that most full-timers only dream of: setting their own hours, working from home, being their own bosses. No wonder the gig economy comprised 16 percent of all workers by 2015, according to research by economists Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger.

—Andy Sullivan

In addition to having more stable space, the affluent often have greater latitude to remain inside it. They can work on Zoom, shop on Amazon and have gig workers deliver meals.

—Jason DeParle

Examples of gig worker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Smarter Income Monitoring And Credit Evaluation Traditional credit scoring often misses nuances in modern income sources, especially for gig workers and small business owners. —Maulikkumar Pandya, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

The portrait of a gig worker thrashing to stay afloat recalls last year’s powerful migrant drama, The Story of Souleymane, which followed an African food deliverer in Paris. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025

The agreement, if approved, would allow hundreds of thousands of rideshare drivers to form unions and bargain collectively while still being classified as gig workers, according to supporters ahead of Friday’s vote in Sacramento. —Pat Maio, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025

In late 2017, the company acquired same-day delivery service Shipt for $550 million in cash, which enabled gig workers to serve as the backbone for the company’s burgeoning online delivery network. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2009, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gig worker

• caseworker
• coworker
• farmworker
• woodworker