gig economy

[gig i-kon-uh-mee]

noun

Slang.

1. an economic sector consisting of part-time, temporary, and freelance jobs.

   rapid growth of the online gig economy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gig economy¹

First recorded in 2005–10; gig ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “a job of uncertain duration”) + economy ( def. )

Example Sentences

“The gig economy and the way it is advertised really enforces the fact that people are their own businesses,” says Gershon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Why has it stuck around so long, and how is the workweek now starting to change amid contemporary developments like remote work, the gig economy and artificial intelligence?

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The BBC spent two hours with officers carrying out spot checks on gig economy workers including delivery drivers.

Read more on BBC

“So I think there’s going to be an opportunity for the retiree population to find second or third careers through this post-AI gig economy.”

Read more on MarketWatch

His subject is a fertile one too: the gig economy fostering our crushing inequity, but also the desperation of the have-nots and how oblivious the wealthy are about those who made them rich.

Read more on Los Angeles Times