Gig economy can be ‘a route to nowhere’, study finds

The lure of freedom and flexible hours promised by the gig economy can trap workers into low-paid casual jobs, with little opportunity to move into full-time employment, a University of Auckland study has found.

Elizabeth George, a researcher at the university’s graduate school of management, said data showed that when people started out in casual ‘gig jobs’, their chances of switching to full-time work were “surprisingly low”.

“We wanted to know if the gig economy delivered on its promise of choice and flexibility for workers,” George said in a university statement.