The Female Perspective on the Gig Economy

From Hyperwallet, Q1 2017

In Australia, the average female salary is 86% of that of the average male. However, according to a recent survey, 86% of female gig workers believe that the gig economy may help them to finally level that playing field. Hyperwallet, a payout platform that manages payments for a number of gig-economy companies, recently released a report on women’s roles in the gig economy.

Women surveyed showed a preference for professional freelance work, such as computer programming through platforms such as Upwork, followed by direct selling such as selling cosmetics for Mary Kay, and service work, such as providing dog-walking services via websites such as rover.com. This is in stark contrast to the ride-sharing type of gig work, such as Uber, where only 14% of drivers are female.

The report also explores reasons for females to favour gig work, such as the flexibility to take care of their families. For many gig workers, this flexibility can outweigh the downsides of the gig economy, such as inconsistent income or a lack of employee benefits.

For more information, you can find the online version of the report.