Qualitative analysis of individuals in the gig economy

IES was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to conduct qualitative research to gather views from individuals who have found work in the gig economy.

There has been a policy focus on the gig economy, as a growing area of the labour market and as it is made up largely of self-employed people, working very flexibly. While this type of work has many advantages in terms of flexibility for both individuals and employers, there are concerns about whether adequate protections are in place to safeguard the rights of individuals in precarious positions.

The aim of the project was to gain an understanding of the motivations and experiences of people working in the gig economy in order to inform policy development.

We carried out 150 telephone and face-to-face interviews, making it one of the largest qualitative research projects on the gig economy to date. The project ran alongside the Taylor Review.