4 myths about the gig economy and giggers

As the gig economy grows and gains public attention, new myths have emerged. But your conscious or unconscious perception of the gig economy may be very different from the reality. Here are four myths about the gig economy that we think are particularly important to dispel.

1. The gig economy is only for companies like Foodora and Uber Eats

Many people associate the gig economy primarily with Foodora's bike messengers roaming the big cities. In fact, the gig model has existed in several industries for many years. Journalists have been freelancers for over 20 years and in the IT industry, self-employment among consultants has become increasingly popular. 

Bicycle couriers and transportation services are the most visible in the city, a consequence of the new digital gig platforms. But the fact is that in 2017 there were already over 800 000 companies in Sweden with one employee or less, according to Statistics Sweden. This indicates that self-employment and gigging are very common in Sweden.

Gig platforms like Gigger, on the other hand, have made it easier to gig. Gigger's tools make it easy to find gigs and start working without owning a company - instead, you become self-employed. The increased ease of working as a gigger has driven the gig economy.

2. The gig economy means an insecure working life

It is commonly assumed that the gig economy is a precarious one, as it is not based on permanent employment. But many of today's giggers seem to disagree. In a survey, self-employed workers in the IT sector reported feeling as secure or even more secure as self-employed workers than they did when they were employed. 

One explanation may be that those who have become giggers are no longer dependent on a single employer, but instead have several customers who generate income.

3. The gig economy is just a fad

Just like the advent of the internet, some people think that the gig economy is a fad, boosted mainly by the pandemic when thousands of Swedish companies were forced to lay off significant parts of their workforce. In reality, the gig economy is a global trend that is here to stay.

This is particularly evident in the United States, where more than 57 million people work in the gig economy. Statistia, a German company specializing in customer data, predicts that more than half of the US workforce will have experience of or work as a gig worker by 2023. And it is not impossible that the Swedish gig economy may grow faster than that in the US. 

Robin Teigland, professor of digital business innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, argues that Sweden's tax-funded healthcare and education make the gig economy particularly favorable. 

In the US, a permanent job usually means health insurance and a secure income to finance your children's education. But in Sweden, both healthcare and education are tax-funded, which makes it safe to gig, says Robin.

4. Gig jobs can never be self-defeating

There is a widespread misconception that the gig economy consists of boring, short-term, low-paying jobs with no opportunity for career advancement and self-improvement. Of course, these types of jobs do exist, but the reality of many gig workers is the opposite.

In fact, the gig model provides at least as much opportunity for self-fulfillment as traditional employment. For a gigger, it typically takes three years to build up their skills and client portfolio to the point of being sought after. But once there, they are given unprecedented opportunities to shape their lives.

Thanks to the fact that the gigger is their own boss, they can choose who they want to work with and what they want to work on. Some giggers prioritize choosing the assignments that are most stimulating and fulfilling. Others fill their calendar exclusively with remote assignments, so they can work from their favorite location, or on the move. Some giggers choose the most lucrative assignments and work hard for a period to maximize their holidays. Creative life puzzles abound and the debate about who has the best is never ending. 

What are your thoughts on the myths we want to dispel? Please share below.