All Insecure? Insecurity Profiles and Their Antecedents in Employed Gig Workers

Gig work has been increasing in past years and is usually portrayed as a precarious and vulnerable non-standard employment form characterized by high insecurity. To better understand insecurity experiences of gig workers, we explore whether and how insecurity perceptions in relation to gig, financial, career and business domains are combined in distinct insecurity profiles. To characterize found profiles, potential antecedents (demographics, gig work motives, gig employment characteristics and labor market factors) to insecurity perceptions are studied. This study focuses on employed gig workers in Sweden, who work client-based and find their own assignments, but also have an umbrella company as their legal employer. Based on 227 employed gig workers, four distinct insecurity profiles were identified. The ‘predictable secure’ (40%), the ‘career secure’ (20%), the ‘client and career insecure’ (24%) and the ‘highly insecure’ (17%). Results indicate that not all gig workers experience insecurity or work in a precarious employment form. Instead, at least for some, gig work can provide employment that is perceived as intrinsically motivating. Others needed gig work for their income and were using gig work not solely as sideline activity. Results also reveal that several aspects of job insecurity are important to consider when differentiating the heterogenous group of gig workers. This study concludes that policies may be needed for vulnerable groups to identify solutions that reduce insecurity in client-based work. Preferably, this can be done in dialogue between employers, unions, gig workers and their clients.