Full-time employees can cost up to 1.4 times as much as an independent worker.

The gig economy is a labor market in which workers earn money through on-demand jobs

These “gigs” are often temporary or flexible tasks, such as driving for Uber. Colloquially, the term “gig economy” usually refers to people doing jobs where they connect with people who request their services through an app.

Find out what it's like to work in the gig economy

If you’re thinking about being a gig worker—for example, an Airbnb host, Lyft driver, or DoorDash delivery person—keep this article in mind before you start. This article outlines particular concepts prospective gig workers should think about before signing up for gig work, such as upfront costs and budgeting for taxes.

The gig economy has rapidly transformed the way millions of Americans work

Rooted in flexibility and on-demand, project-based jobs, it provides opportunities for both side hustles and full-time income streams, appealing especially to younger generations seeking greater autonomy over traditional office roles. While gig work offers freedoms like flexible hours and project choice, it often lacks benefits like healthcare and retirement plans.

Juliet Schor wrote an informative book about the gig economy: 'After the Gig'

In an interview, she explains that gig economy workers come in two groups: people who are earning supplemental income on the side of a full-time job, and people who depend on gig work for their entire incomes. As it turns out, those groups feel very differently about the gig economy.

Former New Yorker editor Tina Brown coined the term “gig economy” in 2009

Although this article was written pre-pandemic, the workers interviewed in it still feel representative of the sector’s modern ethos. In the piece, the writer interviews a handful of gig workers about why, exactly, they’ve chosen to make a living off of Airbnbs or TaskRabbit gigs rather than doing something else.

The average salary for full-time gig workers is roughly $60K a year in the US

High-earners can make more than six figures, while close to 15% make less than the federal minimum hour wage. Most gig workers in the United States still have to file a tax return every year.

The number of people collecting money from gig work tripled between 2017 and 2021

That includes people driving for Lyft or delivering food through GrubHub. Those people might be changing the face of the US economy at large, too. Gig work provides a cushion between jobs outside of government unemployment assistance, for example.

Many gig economy jobs are easy to sign up for, with a low barrier to entry

That doesn’t mean being a gig worker is an easy career, however. This article provides a framework for how to succeed in the gig economy, such as getting routines in place to streamline workflows, avoiding burnout, and creating a solid network.

The average gig worker likely doesn’t have an employer-sponsored retirement plan

But just like full-time 9 to 5 office workers, gig workers can still save for retirement. An article outlines strategies for gig workers seeking to save for retirement, including different ways to think about what the money from each “gig” should go toward.

Listen to an interview with a gig economy expert

In this podcast episode, the hosts sit down with NerdWallet Senior News Editor Rick VanderKnyff, a gig economy expert who explains why the sector grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, what defines a gig worker, how gig workers handle their finances, and more.

Inside a recent Lyft lawsuit

Over the past few years, there have been a few lawsuits regarding the way gig workers are classified as employees. Specifically, these lawsuits aim to see if gig workers (like Lyft drivers, in one recent case) should be classified as full-time employees or independent contractors. For more information, read this article.

In a survey of US Gen Z workers, 53% were freelancing for at least 40 hours per week

Overall, Gen Z has a pretty different attitude about work from previous generations, partly because of the economic hardship they’ve witnessed being born into the Great Recession and coming of age during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Calculate creator economy platform costs

The creator economy continues to be an attractive way to earn money for many people. While many platforms exist to help creators monetize their work, each has different feature sets and pricing models. This calculator helps workers decide which platform works best for them.

62% of independent workers said they would prefer permanent or non-contract work

In the consulting firm McKinsey's 2022 "American Opportunity Survey," 36% of employed respondents (about 58 million Americans) classified themselves as "independent workers." But they're not all thrilled about their current professional status.

A guide to gig-worker taxes and the new Venmo rule

Tax laws are catching up to modern freelancers. Starting with income made in 2024, gig workers will have to report the earnings they receive via apps like Venmo and PayPal differently. The main change: workers will have to detail all app earnings above $5,000 (previously, it was $20,000), and that’ll eventually drop to $600. This guide explains what that’ll mean and answers common questions about the new rule.

About 63% of employees making $100K+ salaries can work from home sometimes or always

However, only 38% of those making $50K to $100K can do the same. Some have pointed out that working from home is increasingly inaccessible to blue-collar workers and those who did not attend elite higher education institutions, furthering America's class divide.

The creator economy—which is projected to be worth as much as $480B by 2027—is a system powered by people creating online content for monetizable audiences.

Remote work offers a way for companies to save money on office space

Before the pandemic, real estate costs were between 3% to 9% of the typical S&P 500 company's budget (with the exception of companies in the energy industry). Eliminating some or all of a company's expensive office leases is one way that companies can save money by adopting work-from-home models. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Are hotels cheaper than Airbnbs?

When Airbnb first became popular, it was seen as a cheaper alternative to staying at a hotel. But these days, depending on factors such as how many people you're traveling with and how long your trip is, Airbnb isn't always the less expensive option. To figure out which form of lodging might be cheaper for your next vacation, read this article.

Nearly 3 million people fly in and out of US airports every day—but not all of those passengers generate revenue for the airlines they purchase their tickets from.

Read about the tax implications of remote work's increasing popularity

Tax complications can arise when a remote employee opts to work from a state where their employer had not previously done business. Demand for remote jobs has remained high since the pandemic accelerated remote work's popularity.

Do unions still work?

Workers everywhere from Starbucks to Uber have made headlines about unionizing—and some union experts argue that despite union membership being lower than it was in eras past, unions could still help the economy.

Over 1.9 million Americans—more than a quarter of those unemployed—have been classified as 'long-term' unemployed in a given month in 2026, meaning they've been out of work for at least 27 weeks.

Read about the pros and cons of working from home

While proponents argue that it's cheaper for both employers and employees to work from home (rather than spending money commuting to an office with an expensive lease), others point out that working remotely can make some workers feel isolated. These are just a few of the many common critiques and perks mentioned in the remote work debate.

'Startups' can be defined as small, early-stage companies that are designed to grow fast.

In 2024, 15% of US laborers worked remotely

At the time, Frisco, Texas, had the highest share of remote workers among large US cities, at 34% (or 42,000 people). Frisco was closely followed by Berkeley, California, at 32% (18,000 people).

There's some evidence that working from home has helped the environment

Those who work fully remote can have a 54% lower carbon footprint than on-site laborers, according to one 2023 study. For instance, the share of Americans driving to work alone decreased by about 7% between 2019 and 2022, significantly reducing vehicular emissions.

What is the creator economy?

The creator economy is a system powered by people creating online content for monetizable audiences. These “creators” and “influencers” make money off their digital audiences through brand deals or revenue shares with social media platforms.

People who work from home might be less likely to take vacation than in-person workers

Remote workers took 5.5% less annual vacation time than their on-site counterparts, according to one 2023 study. The researchers found that remote workers were 22% less likely to take any vacation time at all, and that when they did go on vacation, they tended to take less total time off.

Explore internet usage data, including how humans consume 1.2 billion years of content yearly

About half this time consists of content from social media platforms, where the average user spends about 18.5 hours weekly. An estimated $3.66T was spent on consumer goods by online shoppers in 2025, though nonconsumer goods, such as flights and hotel stays, greatly increase this estimate.

Read an article about what happens when nurses are hired like Ubers.

The share of workers with remote-capable jobs working from home peaked in 2020

Every year, it seems like some study is claiming that remote work is over, and that employers are forcing workers to return to office en masse. This chart shows a much more nuanced picture of how remote work has fluctuated before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic—remote, hybrid, and in-person work levels have remained relatively stable since 2023.

Generative AI may automate nearly 10% of tasks in the US economy.

Over 35% of remote-capable US workers worked from home 'all the time' in 2023

With more than 1.3 million remote workers, the New York City metropolitan area had more remote workers than any of the top 30 metro areas in the US at the time. However, the Austin, Texas, metro area had the largest share of remote workers, with more than 23% of the city's workforce working remotely.

The cost of covering family health insurance has tripled in 20 years

The Milliman Medical Index tracks the real cost of health insurance for people covered through employer-sponsored plans. In 2025, healthcare for a family of four cost an average of $35K, including employer contributions, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums, and offset wages.

The global creator economy is worth roughly $250B

That number is derived from multiple sources (such as brand deals and affiliate links), and the projections for how much the creator economy will be worth in the future are even more complicated.

Immigrants generated about $1.7T in economic activity in 2023 and paid roughly $652B in taxes.

While influencers try to make money off of their posts, that's not always the case for content creators.

Why can't we just turn the empty offices into apartments?

As both rent prices and mortgage rates rise across the US, many companies have simultaneously continued operating hybrid or remote workforces post-pandemic. A podcast episode dives into why city dwellers aren't all living in their prepandemic break rooms just yet.

Digital coupon platform Groupon IPO'd in 2011 at a $17.8B market cap, but as of 2024 was worth just $103M—a 99.4% decrease.

The 1819 novel 'Ivanhoe' popularized the word 'freelancing'

In the novel, the author wrote about “free-lances:” mercenary soldiers who were “free” to use their weapons (called, yes, “lances”) in service of whoever paid them the most. A video details that story and other gig economy basics.

When your 9-to-5 becomes optional

You've seen the headlines. But what would actually happen if everyone's 9-to-5 became optional? We dug into the data. Traced automation philosophy back thousands of years. Examined what happened when elevator operators disappeared. Looked at Alaska's 40-year experiment paying every citizen. And investigated the Philippines, where 89% of call center jobs are now at risk. What we found was more positive than bleak. This video explores three questions: What does the data actually show? What does history tell us about this kind of disruption? And what happens when work becomes optional?

Estimates say the creator economy market size will reach $500B by 2026

The creator economy, a system powered by people creating online content for monetizable audiences, has democratized fame and influence. Much of influencers' recent power comes from Gen Z's preference for authenticity over the polished approach of legacy media.

How much do people make in Hollywood?

A huge network of people makes up Hollywood—a place associated with glamour and fortune. Read this article in The Hollywood Reporter to learn more about the actual roles within the industry and what these workers are paid. From studio executives to makeup artists, learn what the different Hollywood salaries are.

In 1980, the median US household income was $21,020

In 1980, a steady middle-class job paid roughly $13,000 to $16,000 a year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That income comfortably supported a household on one paycheck. The average full-time worker today, who makes $68K per year often cannot afford to support a household without a second income.

Should companies be owned by their workers?

In the last half-century, so-called private equity has transformed industries by purchasing private companies, cutting costs, loading up debt, and then selling the business at a premium—all at a huge profit to the investors. Workers, on the other hand, are often left with nothing. Listen to how both pro-worker economists and a private equity stalwart are trying to shift ownership to workers—a growing tactic proven to improve worker satisfaction and company value.

Explore an interactive chart that shows peoples' annual salaries by occupation

The median salary for full-time workers in the United States was roughly $49.5K in 2024. An interactive chart details how salaries differ by occupation.

Nearly 42% of Gen Z workers have shared their salary with a coworker, compared to just 19% of Baby Boomers.

The US loses roughly $400B a year in productivity due to sleep deprivation

For an article about a woman who built a business empire telling bedtime stories, the Hustle created this graphic showing the estimated GDP loss associated with chronic insomnia. The United States had a much more significant loss than other countries.

The pros and cons of long-term renting

Soaring mortgage rates and inflated home prices have led more consumers to opt to rent instead of buying, becoming “forever renters.” This article weighs the costs and benefits of renting instead of buying. Benefits include flexibility, less upkeep, and potentially lower expenses, while downsides include less stability and reliance on landlords. Read this article and decide whether homeownership or renting is the choice for you.