Gig work is the primary source of income for 88% of gig workers: report

Around 88% of gig workers rely on gig work as their primary source of income, according to a survey by Ipsos Research Private Limited (Ipsos).

Over two-thirds of gig workers state that platform work provides enough monthly earnings to sustain their livelihood, according to the survey.

The survey was conducted among 3,668 gig workers across the top metro cities of India—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad—examining their perception of the gig economy and the reasons behind gig work across platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, Ola, InDrive, Rapido, Amazon, Flipkart, Zepto, Bigbasket, and Dunzo.

About 43% of the gig workers surveyed claim that their earnings have remained consistent after switching to gig work, while nearly 65% of workers say that they had started working in the gig economy in the last three years.

The survey highlights that 84% of gig workers are satisfied with their work experience. Earning potential (29%), flexible hours (27%), and a desire for independence (24%) are the other motivators for gig workers.

The study further reveals that 89% of gig workers feel gig work offers them flexibility with respect to when and where to work.

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Flexibility (31%) is a key aspect that gig workers like about their work. They also like the fact that they can be their own boss (29%) and achieve a better work-life balance (25%). However, the choice to switch platforms and diversify income streams are not major influences and together account for less than 5%.

The gig economy offers upward mobility for a significant portion of surveyed gig workers, with one-third of them saying gig work provided them the opportunity to move from their hometown to a bigger city.

About 26% appreciate the low investment required for earning and 18% credit platform-based work for supporting their families.

On the flip side, 29% of gig workers find the absence of social security benefits like insurance and PF to be a significant challenge.

In the absence of gig work, only 30% prefer traditional work or full-time employment to meet their financial goals, while 8% would consider returning to their hometown to find work as an alternative to gig work.

Around 77% of gig workers would recommend gig work to others seeking work opportunities.