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 The law would not supersede any collective bargaining contracts and applies only to salaried workers, as hourly and gig workers are protected by other laws. —

Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024 And people whose jobs are in outdoor settings bore the brunt of the poor air quality — mostly those in blue-collar industries (like construction) and gig workers (like dog walkers or delivery drivers). —

Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 According to Khosrowshahi, the answer is that the company has neglected its gig workers and worried too much about customers. —

Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023 But the initiative might appear hollow to riders who are going on strike as the group campaigns to avoid millions of gig workers from being recognized as employees. —

Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 Politics For Subscribers Critics are blasting Biden for taking ‘a destructive California idea national’ for gig workers. —

Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024 Delegates also use a system of proposals to publicly raise pet issues, with policy solutions ranging from practical ideas, such as reforms to parental leave or raising minimum wages for gig workers, to nationalist grandstanding over issues like cutting English lessons from the school curriculum. —

Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 As the gig workers bill neared a critical vote, some supporters showed up to his house, unannounced. —

Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2024 In December, the bloc passed a provisional agreement forcing companies like Deliveroo, Uber, and Bolt to recognize 5.5 million gig workers as employees. —

Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gig worker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.