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Pretoria News (SA) (Newspaper):
Survey reveals gig economy a necessity

3 July 2019

GIG ECONOMY work is a necessity rather than a choice, and those reliant on it would be willing to earn less in exchange for more job security, according to a study of workers in the UK and the US. The report by the London-based Centre for Economic Performance calls into question claims that self-employment, freelancing and zero-hour contracts are prized over full-time and employee jobs by people who want flexible working arrangements. Gig workers in both countries would be prepared to give up around half their hourly wage for a permanent contract over a one-month one, the analysis of 4000 people found. They'd also be willing to sacrifice earnings for holiday and sick pay. "Workers like knowing when their next pay check is coming, where it's coming from and how much it will be," said Nikhil Datta, who wrote the report published yesterday.