gig worker

noun

plural gig workers

: a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer : a worker in the gig economy

Gig workers have freedoms that most full-timers only dream of: setting their own hours, working from home, being their own bosses. No wonder the gig economy comprised 16 percent of all workers by 2015, according to research by economists Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger.

—Andy Sullivan

In addition to having more stable space, the affluent often have greater latitude to remain inside it. They can work on Zoom, shop on Amazon and have gig workers deliver meals.

—Jason DeParle

Examples of gig worker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Makeup artists are alienated gig workers who often have nothing to fall back on in case of a slow day, and Chantelle would have been no different without her extensive support system of family and friends. —Grace Butler, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Previously, Lyft has aggressively fought legislation in California that required them to reclassify gig workers as employees, mandating them to include benefits. —Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024

Traditional lending models prioritize steady, verifiable income, which gig workers often lack. —Ron Shevlin, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Reeling in the wake of the sudden departure of his ex-boyfriend, Lourenço meets handsome nurse Maurice (James Bland), who in a single week forges a life-changing bond with the directionless gig worker. —Samantha Allen, Them, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2009, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gig worker

• caseworker
• coworker
• farmworker
• woodworker