Research Handbook of Careers in the Gig Economy
- Title: Research Handbook of Careers in the Gig Economy
- Editors: Anne Keegan, Full Professor of Human Resource Management, Head of the HRM and Employment Relations Group, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Ireland, Jos Akkermans, Full Professor of Sustainable Careers at the Department of Management & Organisation, School of Business & Economics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; François Pichault, Full Professor at HEC Liège Management School, Liège University, and Director of LENTIC (Laboratory for the Study of New Forms of Work, Innovation and Change), Belgium
- Published by: Edward Elgar Publishing, March 2025
- Where to find it: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/research-handbook-of-careers-in-the-gig-economy-9781035318520.html
The gig economy is a sector that has been growing rapidly. Whilst there are no official stats to say exactly how much of the UK workforce is made up on gig economy workers, data from the CIPD in 2023 suggested just under half a million worked in this capacity. A later exploration from Stand Out in 2024 estimated that number had grown to 1.7 million, equating to one in six UK adults working in this capacity.
Of that number, Stand Out’s survey goes on to share, 20% have made gig roles their main source of income. In total, they are estimated to be contributing £20bn to the UK’s economy. It’s too large a sector of the workforce to ignore, and too valuable to not protect.
And protection has been a prominent area of discussion – as stories of over-worked, underpaid delivery drivers continue to hit headlines. Narratives surrounding the gig economy sector have typically been focused on the low pay, low skill requirement and sometimes expliotitative nature of such roles.
So why are so many workers choosing to shift into the less secure world of gig work? CIPD’s report listed a number of key benefits for workers. From offering greater professional autonomy by allowing them to choose what they work on, who for, when and how, to providing the flexibility to structure work around other commitments such as caring for family or pursuing other personal ambitions. A number of workers use gig economy roles as “side-hustles” helping to fund their way through higher education, for example.
Greater access to work for those with disabilities has also been made possible through more flexible gig roles, giving opportunities to skilled workers who may otherwise have been excluded from professional life. CIPD also suggests that, as a result, gig economy workers are generally happier than the traditional employees.
But, whilst this may be true, there are still elements of gig economy work that are problematic. So how can gig workers, and those who seek to employ them, ensure they’re getting the best out of the arrangement – workers earning enough and gaining sufficient work to keep them satisfied and employers providing the right structures and incentives to attract the best people time after time?
To understand further, we have the latest publication from Anne Keegan, Professor at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Ireland. With colleagues Jos Akkermans, Professor at Vrije Universiteit and François Pichault, Professor at HEC Liège Management School, Anne has written Research Handbook of Careers in the Gig Economy, an exploration how gig workers’ careers fit into and can evolve within a modern employment landscape. Analysing a broad spectrum of industries and roles; from couriers to cleaners, to designers to performers, the book offers readers an in-depth insight into how the gig economy can provide a valuable, sustainable career path with opportunities for growth.
Anne is no stranger to exploring the non-standard and atypical employment design. As a Professor of Human Resource Management her expertise spans how HRM interacts with the modern working world, exploring not only gig work, but online labour and the use of technology including algorithmic management to manage freelancers.
We sat down with Anne to find out more…
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new business book? What motivated you to write it?
The gig economy is changing how we think about work. In the past, a “career” often meant having a stable, long-term job with one employer. Gig work, on the other hand, is made up of short-term jobs like ride-sharing, freelance writing, or graphic design. It’s more flexible, but also less predictable.
This shift raises important questions. What does a career look like in this new world? We were motivated to write this handbook to explore that question, using insights from many fields-like psychology, sociology, economics, law, and politics-to look at gig work from different angles: personal, organisational, and societal.
Some people see gig jobs as unstable and risky, but that’s not the whole story. Many choose gig work for the freedom and control it offers. This book aims to go beyond the stereotypes, showing both the challenges and the opportunities of this growing part of the workforce.
What are the key takeaways or main ideas that readers can expect to find in your book?
- Gig economy careers are unique: They offer different opportunities and challenges compared to traditional jobs.
- Careers still form over time: Even without a steady job, gig workers build careers through their varied work experiences.
- No climbing the corporate ladder: Gig work lacks traditional structures like promotions or long-term employment.
- Short gigs, big picture: Careers in the gig economy are built from many small jobs rather than one stable role.
- Success looks different: Traditional career success measures (like promotions and raises) often don’t apply to gig work.
- Context matters: Platforms, laws, local economies, and personal situations all shape gig careers.
- Risks are real: Gig workers may face income instability, unpredictable changes, and fewer protections.
- But so are opportunities: Flexibility, autonomy, and entrepreneurship can be big draws.
- One size doesn’t fit all: Gig workers follow different career paths-some thrive, others struggle.
- Career research must adapt: To stay relevant, career studies need to include and understand nontraditional paths like gig work.
Who is the target audience for your book, and how do you believe it will benefit them?
This book is aimed at practitioners and academics who are engaged with the changing world of work and interested in the future of careers. We believe this book offers unique insights from leading scholars on how careers in the gig economy are changing, and how the gig economy can inspire changes to careers research, policy, and practice.
What do you think makes this topic particularly relevant or timely in today’s business world, or for the years ahead?
Careers are changing and it is timely to examine trends by looking at gig workers but understanding that trends – such as deconstructed jobs and hiring based on short contracts – are relevant across a growing range of workers. Careers are not just in organisations anymore but also unfold across and between them. Companies need to adapt career structures to individual needs for flexibility, but also to offer the belongingness and security.
Can you discuss any specific case studies or real-world examples from your book that illustrate its principles in action?
The book offers illustrations of the careers of a wide variety of workers in the gig economy spanning professionals to freelancers to food delivery riders. The book also looks at how compensation and benefits need to adapt to gig work, how gig work links with meaningful work, how career success factors need to be redefined, and how online labour platforms are shaping gig workers’ experiences.
How does your book add to/expand existing discussions on this topic?
This is the first comprehensive study of careers in the gig economy, based on cutting edge research from a wide variety of leading scholars spanning the fields of HRM, psychology, and sociology. It addresses the topic of carers in the gig economy from practical as well as theoretical perspectives. It offers insights from different countries and from different levels from the indivudal worker to the organisations and platforms involved in gig work, and even societal level insights on policy for gig workers’s careers.
Can you provide some practical tips or strategies from your book that readers can immediately apply to improve their business or career?
- Gig work involves embracing opportunities and challenges compared to traditional jobs. Individual workers need to be prepared for more insecurity and precarity as well as the need to develop skills to profile their talent and attract clients. Adaptiveness and proactivity are important in this context.
- Even though traditional career ladders are less prominent, careers still form in the gig economy and gig workers build careers through their varied work experiences. The companies and clients that use the services of gig workers need to support knowledge development and fairness in working conditions to prevent a deterioration in working conditions and innovation linked with gig workers. Companies and platforms share a responsibility to ensure wellbeing and development of gig workers, but this reality is not well recognised.
- Careers in the gig economy are built from many small jobs rather than one stable role which means that lots of systems based on traditional jobs much be reconsidered, from how home loans are financed and social security is collected. Governments around the world need to pay more attention to how careers are evolving, and how to support individuals and organisations in the gig economy.
- Gig workers may face income instability, unpredictable changes, and fewer protections. New legal frameworks and protections are needed to protect both wellbeing and innovation in the gig economy.
- Management studies including HRM studies and career studies need to take nontraditional paths like gig work seriously and make knowledge about this new world of work more accessible and relevant.
- Gig work, often mediated by digital platforms, advances new forms of management – algorithmic management. This has potentially huge implications for how workers are linked with organisations, and how they are led and managed. Learning how to survive and thrive in the gig economy also means learning new skills to navigate algorithmic bosses and algorithmic markets for skills.
Finally, what book written by another author would you consider essential reading for your audience and why?
My personal pick is “Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms Are Overtaking the State and How We Can Regain Control” By Vili Lehdonvirta, MIT Press 2024. It details the rise of the platform economy and its impact on the lives of entrepreneurs, users, and workers.
By, Kerry Ruffle
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