5 types of gig economy workers

To supplement its online survey, Insight spoke to 50 food delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers to understand their socio-economic profile and why they joined the gig economy. The interviews, conducted in Bedok, Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East, Tampines and Yishun over two days, found that these workers fall into five common groups. Half are doing such jobs as an interim measure after leaving or losing their former jobs, or to earn extra cash, while a fifth are individuals from vulnerable backgrounds, such as single mothers and former offenders. A similar proportion are sole breadwinners. Four in 10 are not able to set aside savings from their monthly income, while half of the 35 full-time workers interviewed say they are earning less from their gig jobs than in their previous jobs.