People are also increasingly turning to platform work to fill income gaps according to a 2021 survey, 16% of US workers had earned money from an online gig platform at some point, skewing towards younger and lower-paid workers.įreelance designer Ohn Mar Win, 46, relies on platform work to make ends meet. In the UK, a June 2022 report showed 3.7 million workers were in insecure employment defined as people on zero-hours contracts, agency, casual and seasonal workers and the low-paid self-employed (but not workers on fixed-term contracts). Statistics on exact numbers vary according to one 2017 estimate by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, temporary agency work, on-call work, contracted work or freelancing is the main source of income for more than 10% of US workers. In these cases, lower-paid employees have no guaranteed income and often aren’t allocated paid holiday or sick leave.Īs the role of technology has grown, so too has the role of precarious employment in the economy. This can particularly happen in the service sector, with zero-hour contracts and gig work common in industries such as hospitality, transport and the arts. However, other workers find themselves in unprotected employment through enforced circumstances. The past few years have been precious: I’ve been able to help raise my young child, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible in a nine-to-five office job.” “I’ve had the opportunity to be full-time,” says Parker, “but it’s far more rewarding to build my own income and have freedom in my choices. Some workers opt for insecure employment so they can sell their skills and diversify their salaries on a freelance basis, while making time for family. When recession bites, employers can terminate short-term contracts or casual workers far more easily than making full-time staff redundant. While full-time work is generally protected under employment law, freelance or gig work is more vulnerable to sharp drops in demand. As the economic picture darkens, these workers are forced to strategise, increase their workloads and secure new means of income as they try to make ends meet. This job insecurity takes a toll research shows that it can impact workers’ mental and physical health as well as their ability to plan financially. However, for the millions of workers in precarious employment - platform, gig and service workers, or knowledge workers on short-term contracts – clinging on to stable jobs through a recession can be much harder. When downturns hit, permanent employees can often hunker down in their jobs and ride out the turbulence. “When bidding for contracts, people are having to compete much more for the same work they had during the Covid-19 boom – it’s much harder now.”īut many suspect the worst is yet to come, as the financial outlook bleakens. “Many people have lost contracts,” he says. Parker’s experience reflects what many freelancers, and those in other types of impermanent employment, have begun to see in recent months. I learned graphic design in my downtime so I could pivot to new opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t have gone for.” “I became more conscious of my spending, looked at what freelance jobs were available in the online community and began upskilling. “It was a very difficult time not knowing whether I’d be earning a monthly income, particularly when I had a family to feed,” he says. Through circumstances beyond his control, Parker, based in Lincolnshire, UK, was suddenly out of work. “Brands started questioning their return on investment with third-party contractors work that would’ve previously been commissioned to freelancers began to be taken in-house.” “We began seeing budget cuts,” explains Parker, who has freelanced since 2017. It was an early sign of a looming downturn. In January, Parker abruptly lost two major contracts. However, this began to change at the turn of the year. For freelance marketers, meant being able to find the best opportunities and grasp them.” “Like other sectors, marketing saw the Great Resignation: people realised what they were worth and what they wanted. “Power went to the freelancers,” he explains. Through the pandemic’s peak, industry demand was roaring. Ryan Parker, 30, is typically hired by marketing agencies to deliver services for brands on a contract basis.
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