30% Feel Freelance Offers More Benefits than Gig or Traditional Work

Freelance and gig work are terms that are becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. With the rise of technology, the Internet, and online platforms, individuals are finding new and innovative ways to earn a living by providing services and selling their skills online.

‘Gig works’ are service jobs requiring manual labor and little to no training and professional experience. They mostly consist of micro-tasks pre-determined by the employer and offered by digital platforms (apps for ridesharing, home rental, food delivery, etc.).

On the other hand, freelance work mostly requires specialization in industry and niche. Companies hire freelancers to supplement their in-house team, particularly on technical issues requiring expertise and agility.

The Rise of Freelance Work and Gig Work

The growth of freelance and gig work can be attributed to the increase in the use of technology and the Internet. Platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and TaskRabbit make it easy for individuals to offer their services and for businesses to find and hire them.

The types of work are a matter of preference at the end of the day. Some prefer freelance or gig work, possibly due to the flexibility it offers, and others prefer a traditional working style. Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on freelance and gig work to gauge public opinions on this. This survey gathered honest opinions and preferences between freelance and gig work. The report aims to highlight key findings from the survey.

Highlights

• 30.13% feel freelance work offers more benefits than gig work
• 20.74% would be interested in a gig or freelance work in the tutoring and teaching field
• 15.85% say the biggest disadvantage of freelance or gig work is a lack of or no employer-provided training

To start with, respondents were asked about their awareness of the terms ‘Freelance’ and ‘Gig’ work. The responses indicated that 71.99% are aware of them, while 23.06% are familiar but with limited knowledge. 4.95% are unaware.

The survey then asks if respondents have any experience working in freelance or gig work. 41.05% have experience in gig work, while 35.31% have experience in freelance work. 9.6% have experience with both. 7.44% have experience with neither.

Read More: The Future of Gig Economy

What Type of Freelance or Gig Jobs Respondents Are Likely to Take

Freelance or gig work would entail numerous jobs. As such, the survey sought to specify what types of jobs respondents would venture into if they were to pursue freelance or gig work. To this, a majority of 20.45% of respondents would take up tutoring and teaching. In comparison, 10.1% would take up freelance consulting, 7.77% would become personal trainers, sports coaches, and fitness instructors, and 7.68% would take up on-demand services such as cleaning, personal shopping, etc.

The rest chose temporary staffing (7.18%), pet-sitting, dog-walking, pet-grooming (6.96%), and ridesharing (6.44%), among others.

The Benefits of Freelance or Gig Work

Many prefer freelance or gig work because it offers flexibility and a perfect work-life balance. The survey asked respondents what freelance or gig work’s main benefit is. 12.02% said it offers the flexibility of schedule, 10.94% said convenience, and 10.72% said it offers a variety of work. Furthermore, 10.32% say it is an additional source of income, 9.78% say it gives a sense of independence, and 8.86% say it gives them control over work.

Disadvantages of Freelance or Gig Work

Alongside benefits, freelance or gig work also has its disadvantages. As highlighted in the survey, some disadvantages include no employer-provided training (15.85%), relatively unstable and irregular income (11.73%), lack of job security (9.85%), and lack of worker protection laws, regulations, and policies (9.22%).

Others said lack of promotions or pay hikes (8.55%), a lack of benefits, non-monetary benefits (7.31%), and unpaid leaves (7.07%).

Types of Freelance or Gig Work Segments

A study categorized independent workers into four main classifications;

Free agents are those who choose freelance work and derive their primary income from it
Casual earners are those who use freelance work by choice for supplemental income
Reluctants are those who make their primary living from freelance work but would prefer traditional, permanent jobs
Financially strapped are those who do additional freelance work out of necessity

In detail, the survey asked respondents about their preferences on the above and which they would opt for. 26.65% would opt to be free agents, 25.53% would opt to become casual earners, 24.17% would choose to be Reluctants, and 23.65% would become financially strapped freelance or gig workers.

Final Verdict

As a final verdict, the survey asks respondents if they prefer freelance, gig, or traditional employment. 24.32% choose freelance work, 18.09% choose gig work, and 19.74% prefer traditional employment. 13.99% would prefer to do nothing and chose ‘neither.’

Lastly, the survey evaluated which type of work provides more benefits. According to the results, 30.13% believe that freelance work offers the most benefits, followed by 23.91% who believe that traditional employment is the best, and 23.71% who consider gig work to be the most beneficial.