gig economy
an economy consisting of freelance jobs
TRANSLATION
gig economy = auf Freiberuflern basierendes Wirtschaftsmodell. Von englisch Gig für „Auftritt“ und bezeichnet einen Teil des Arbeitsmarktes, bei dem kleine Aufträge kurzfristig an unabhängige Selbständige, Freiberufler oder geringfügig Beschäftigte vergeben werden. Dabei dient häufig eine Onlineplattform als Mittler zwischen Kunde und Auftragnehmer, die Rahmenbedingungen setzt und deren Betreiber eine Provision einbehält.
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
'People who work in the GIG ECONOMY have small jobs instead of – or as well as – full time jobs. Instead of a salary, workers get paid for the "gigs" they do, like a food delivery or a taxi journey.'
BBC News
Did you
know?
gig economy
noun phrase
- a way of working that is based on people having temporary jobs or doing separate pieces of work, each paid separately, rather than working for an employer
Cambridge Dictionary
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ORIGIN
First appearing (in this context) around 1926, the word gig has referred to a single performance by a musician or group of musicians, especially playing non-classical music.
It's easy to see how gig has now become an adjective describing the growing phenomenon of task-based employment. Rather than working under a contract of employment and receiving regular salaries, workers receive one-off payments for the individual tasks, aka the 'gigs', they do.
You may also sometimes come across alternative (and much earlier) meanings of gig. These are both related to transport:
gig = a light, two-wheeled carriage pulled by one horse
gig = a light, fast, narrow boat adapted for rowing or sailing
