Do you have what it takes to freelance?
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A 2016 survey of freelancers in six countries found that those who freelance by choice– 70% of respondents– were happier than people in traditional jobs, specifically when it came to things like independence and flexibility in terms of where and when they work. So what does it take to be a successful freelancer? Explore the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy.
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Additional Resources for you to Explore
There are many ways that gig economy workers can be more vulnerable than their traditional worker counterparts. If you’re curious about how and why financial protections for freelancers help everyone, you might want to check out this article.
Government and private industry can make policies that can make for a less exploitative gig economy. Gig workers were and continue to be the hardest hit by the global pandemic. To find out more about their situation and the failures of both private industry and the public sector to support them, check out this article.
For a deep dive into the ecosystem of platform work, check out this paper. In it, the authors unpack the differences between digital and sharing platforms and give some positive examples of platform companies taking the social protection of employees seriously.
Anthony Hussenot describes the difference between “proficians” – creative class workers in high demand – and “precarians” – workers with less job security doing more repetitive tasks. Read more here.
The Future of Jobs
The future of work may very well be headed more and more towards freelancing. You can check out a more comprehensive look at the future of jobs in The World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report.
For reports and information about platform workers in particular, check out The Fairwork Project. They are based at the Oxford Internet Institute and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Through their global network of researchers, they evaluate the working conditions of digital platforms and rank them based on our five principles of fair work
Government and private industry can make policies that can make for a less exploitative gig economy. Gig workers were and continue to be the hardest hit by the global pandemic. To find out more about their situation and the failures of both private industry and the public sector to support them, check out this article.
For a deep dive into the ecosystem of platform work, check out this paper. In it, the authors unpack the differences between digital and sharing platforms and give some positive examples of platform companies taking the social protection of employees seriously.
Anthony Hussenot describes the difference between “proficians” – creative class workers in high demand – and “precarians” – workers with less job security doing more repetitive tasks. Read more here.
The Future of Jobs
The future of work may very well be headed more and more towards freelancing. You can check out a more comprehensive look at the future of jobs in The World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report.
For reports and information about platform workers in particular, check out The Fairwork Project. They are based at the Oxford Internet Institute and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Through their global network of researchers, they evaluate the working conditions of digital platforms and rank them based on our five principles of fair work
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