Gen Z drives gig economy boom as flexible work surpasses 9-to-5 jobs
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — The gig economy is expanding at a faster pace than the traditional workforce, with Gen Z workers at the forefront of this shift. Once considered an “alternative” career path, gig work is quickly becoming mainstream.
A recent Ogilvy projection indicates that by 2027, half of workers in developed countries will participate in the gig economy.
“Young people are really driven to take control over their own work life balance and craft their own career and narrative,” Reid Litman, global consulting director at Ogilvy, told Fortune. “They don’t trust the old system.”
Changing motivations and new opportunities
While early gig workers were drawn by technological advancements and corporate cost-cutting, motivations have evolved. Gen Z, shaped by economic uncertainty, global crises, and shifting job market expectations, now seeks autonomy and flexibility. Traditional education is no longer seen as a reliable path to stable employment, with many employers finding entry-level candidates lacking necessary skills.
A significant subset of the gig economy includes creators, influencers, entrepreneurs, and consultants—anyone monetizing their skills or persona.
Content creation, once dismissed as a hobby, is now a lucrative sector, with the creator economy projected to reach $529 billion by 2030, according to a report from Coherent Market Insights.
Rethinking employer strategies
With the gig economy’s continued rise, companies are urged to adapt or risk losing future talent. Litman warns that viewing Gen Z’s higher turnover as a negative misses broader socio-economic and technological shifts.
“This is kind of a race to the bottom, because while there is truth to higher turnover among Gen Z, these realities are rooted in more macro-shifts, like the idea that Gen Z will have many more jobs and careers than past generations,” Litman said.
“It’s not a Gen Z decision so much as it is like a socio-economic and technological outcome.”
