Did Gig Economy Change Ways of Work? – Evidence from American Time Use Survey

Abstract

The rise of the gig economy has become an important trend in the labour market, and economists have recently started examining its macroeconomic impacts. Based on the aggregate time-series data from American Time Use Survey, this paper explores whether the gig economy has led to more flexible work arrangement and work-time allocation in three dimensions: (1) part-time/full-time; (2) work at home/in the workplace; (3) wage-salary work/self-employed. It suggests that there is a shift toward work-flexibility in terms of location in the United States over the past decade, i.e. people tend to work more at home versus at workplace, a trend mostly obvious among women, a full-time job and wage-salary workers. In contrast, the evidence for a shift toward part-time job and self-employment are less conclusive.

Keywords: gig economy, time use, work from home

JEL Classification: G40, G46