The Gig Economy Data Hub is a partnership between the ILR School and the Future of Work Initiative

Collage of workers, including in-home health aid, wood worker, dog walker, Uber driver, and office worker.

Gig Economy Data Hub

On-demand platforms. Freelancers. Precarious work. The “Gig Economy.” What do these terms mean? How is work actually changing? Find answers to key questions regarding the size, makeup, and challenges of gig workers here.

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We are currently updating the Gig Economy Data Hub. Please check back in Spring 2025 for a relaunched resource!

Gig Basics

The Basics

A healthcare worker, a construction worker, and a woman knitting

A freelance graphic designer earns $25,000 for an ad campaign. A teacher drives for Uber on the weekends. An electrician owns and operates a successful small business. A stay-at-home mom sells Mary Kay cosmetics on Facebook. A recent immigrant cleans houses under the table. A retired woman knits hats to sell at craft fairs. What do these workers have in common?

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What is a gig worker?

Gig work consists of income-earning activities outside of traditional, long-term employer-employee relationships. We know what it is not. But what IS gig work? What types of work does it include? There are several ways of describing gig work.

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How many gig workers are there?

There are several ways to size the gig economy and non-standard workforce. Some count the total number of workers who participate in any form of non-standard work. Some only count those who rely on this work for their primary earnings.

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Who participates in the gig economy?

Gig and non-standard workers are men and women, young and old, live across the country, and reflect the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the country.

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What kinds of work are done through gigs?

Gig or non-standard work can be found across a wide range of occupations. It may include designing websites, driving cars, management consulting, care work, and more.

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What are the experiences of gig workers?

Just as there is not one typical gig worker or one typical job, there is not one way to characterize the experience of participating in the gig economy. Diversity of experiences is a central theme of non-standard work.

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Gig Bytes

Annual Freelancing in America Survey Addresses Size and Needs of Independent Workforce

A bar graph showing numbers of independent workers, as reported in "Freelancing in America 2018"
Shelly Steward

Annual survey conducted by the Freelancers Union and Upwork estimates 57.3 million American workers have engaged in some form of independent work in the past year.

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Nothing Changed?

Logo for U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Louis Hyman

Why are those 2018 CWS numbers so similar to 2005? The questions reflect an economy that may no longer exist for many workers.

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Nine Things to Know Before the 2017 Contingent Worker Supplement is Released

A news article printed and laying on top of other documents
Alastair Fitzpayne and Shelly Steward

Tomorrow’s release of the 2017 Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) will provide the first government estimate of contingent and alternative work in 13 years. Here are nine things to keep in mind about what the new numbers can and cannot tell us.

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Launching the Gig Economy Data Hub to Improve Knowledge About Independent Workers

Shelly Steward and Ethan Pollack

The Future of Work Initiative and Cornell University's ILR School are excited to launch the Gig Economy Data Hub, an online resource devoted to increasing understanding of the gig economy and its workers.

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Gig Economy Data Roundtable Addresses Knowledge Gaps and Opportunities for New Research

a woman sits in a comfortable black chair and works on a computer
Ethan Pollack and Shelly Steward

Better understanding of the size and composition of the gig economy and independent workforce is needed in order to identify policies that can enhance financial security for American workers in a changing economy.

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