Gig Economy Statistics 2026: Gig Workers, Earnings and Platform Data
20% of US adults did some kind of gig activity in the month before they were surveyed in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board. Most of that was selling things. 4% did short-term tasks through an app, such as ride-hailing or delivery. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 11.9 million independent contractors (7.4% of workers) and 6.9 million contingent workers (4.3%) in July 2023.
Key statistics
- 20% of US adults did gig activities in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
- 4% of US adults did short-term tasks arranged through an app or website in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
- 11.9 million US workers were independent contractors on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 4.3% of US workers held contingent jobs on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Gig-related sole proprietorships in the US had receipts of about $152.6 billion in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau.
How many gig workers are in the US
There is no single official count of US gig workers. Each source measures something different, so the share runs from 4% to 20% of adults depending on the definition.
The widest measure comes from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED). In 2024, 20% of adults did a gig activity in the month before the survey. The SHED counts selling things, renting out property and doing short-term tasks. Selling was the most common activity at 13%. Most sellers said this included things they already owned, such as used clothing.
The narrower app-based measure is much smaller. 4% of adults did short-term tasks they arranged through an app or website, such as ride-share or delivery work. That is about 1 in 5 of the adults doing any gig activity, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. Pew Research Center found 9% of adults had earned money on an online gig platform in the 12 months to August 2021. Pew counted a full year, the SHED counts a single month, so the two do not conflict.
For most people gig work is a side income. 70% of SHED gig workers spent less than 5 hours a week on it, and only 21% called it their main job. Pew found a higher main-job share among platform workers, 31%, probably because its group is limited to app-based work.
-
20% of US adults did gig activities in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
4% of US adults did short-term tasks arranged through an app or website in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
16% of US adults had ever earned money through an online gig platform in 2021, according to Pew Research Center.
-
9% of US adults earned money through an online gig platform in the 12 months to August 2021, according to Pew Research Center.
-
21% of US adults who did gig activities said gigs were their main job in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
70% of US gig workers usually spent less than 5 hours a week on gig activities in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
31% of current or recent US gig platform workers said gig work was their main job in 2021, according to Pew Research Center.
| Source | What it counts | Period | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve Board (SHED) | Adults doing any gig activity, including selling items | Month before the 2024 survey | 20% of adults |
| Federal Reserve Board (SHED) | Adults doing short-term tasks through an app or website | Month before the 2024 survey | 4% of adults |
| Pew Research Center | Adults who earned money on an online gig platform | 12 months to August 2021 | 9% of adults |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Independent contractors on their sole or main job | July 2023 | 7.4% of workers |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Contingent workers on their sole or main job | July 2023 | 4.3% of workers |
Independent contractors vs contingent workers statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) runs the Contingent Work Supplement to the Current Population Survey. The latest edition is July 2023, and the one before was May 2017.
Independent contractors are the largest group. 11.9 million people, 7.4% of workers, were independent contractors on their main job in July 2023. The share rose 0.5 points from 6.9% in 2017, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. Most of them chose it. 80.3% preferred their arrangement to a traditional job.
Contingent workers are people who do not expect their job to last. Their share rose from 3.8% to 4.3% over the same period, also up 0.5 points. Contingent work is concentrated among the young. 12.9% of workers aged 16 to 24 were contingent, against 3.1% of those aged 25 to 54. 44.8% of contingent workers would have preferred a permanent job.
The BLS also asked about app-based work in 2023, but it has not published those estimates. Its FAQ page, updated in August 2026, still says the release date is to be determined. Until then the BLS data describes work arrangements, not gig platforms. A ride-share driver usually shows up here as an independent contractor, alongside freelance consultants and self-employed tradespeople.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Contingent Work Supplement to the Current Population Survey.
-
11.9 million US workers were independent contractors on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
6.9% of US workers were independent contractors on their sole or main job in May 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
The US independent contractor share rose by 0.5 percentage points between May 2017 and July 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: Independent contractor share July 2023 7.4% minus May 2017 6.9% = 0.5 points (BLS Contingent Work Supplement).
-
6.9 million US workers held contingent jobs on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
3.8% of US workers held contingent jobs in May 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
The US contingent worker share rose by 0.5 percentage points between May 2017 and July 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: Contingent share July 2023 4.3% minus May 2017 3.8% = 0.5 points (BLS Contingent Work Supplement).
-
2.8 million US workers were on-call workers on their sole or main job in July 2023, 1.7% of total employment, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
945,000 US workers were paid by a temporary help agency on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
862,000 US workers were provided by contract firms on their sole or main job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
80.3% of US independent contractors preferred their work arrangement to a traditional job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
44.8% of US contingent workers would have preferred a permanent job in July 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
12.9% of US workers aged 16 to 24 held contingent jobs in July 2023, against 3.1% of those aged 25 to 54, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
65% of US gig platform workers saw themselves as independent contractors in 2021, while 28% saw themselves as employees, according to Pew Research Center.
| Arrangement | Workers | Share of employment |
|---|---|---|
| Independent contractors | 11.9 million | 7.4% |
| Contingent workers | 6.9 million | 4.3% |
| On-call workers | 2.8 million | 1.7% |
| Temporary help agency workers | 945,000 | 0.6% |
| Workers provided by contract firms | 862,000 | 0.5% |
Gig work by type and who does it
Selling things is the most common gig activity in the US. App-based tasks reach far fewer adults, but they are the work most people mean by the gig economy.
9% of adults did short-term tasks, such as handyman jobs or driving, in the month before the 2024 SHED. 4% arranged those tasks through an app. People doing app-based tasks were the most positive about flexibility, 78% against 55% of all gig workers. They were also the most likely to want steadier pay, at 61%.
Gig work skews young. 26% of adults aged 18 to 29 did a gig activity, 2.2 times the 12% rate for those aged 60 and over, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. Students (30%) and parents of young children (26%) were above average too, which fits work that can be fitted around other commitments.
Both the Federal Reserve and Pew find Hispanic adults most likely to do gig work. In the SHED, 24% of Hispanic adults did gigs against 19% of White and Black adults. Pew's 2021 survey of app-based work found a wider gap. 30% of Hispanic adults had ever earned money on a gig platform, against 12% of White adults. The remote work data shows the opposite pattern for home-based office jobs, which skew towards graduates.
Source: Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2024, table 4. Short-term task figures use the half-sample asked the new CWS-based questions. Adults can do more than one activity.
-
13% of US adults earned money by selling items in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
9% of US adults did short-term gig tasks such as driving or odd jobs in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
2% of US adults earned money from short-term rentals in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
26% of US adults aged 18 to 29 did gig activities in 2024, against 12% of those aged 60 and over, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
US adults aged 18 to 29 were 2.2 times as likely as those aged 60 and over to do gig activities in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Federal Reserve Board data.
How we calculated it: Share doing any gig activity: ages 18 to 29 26% / ages 60 and over 12% = 2.17 (SHED 2024, table 5).
-
24% of Hispanic adults in the US did gig activities in 2024, against 19% of White and Black adults, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
30% of US students did gig activities in 2024, against 19% of non-students, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
30% of US adults aged 18 to 29 had ever earned money through an online gig platform in 2021, according to Pew Research Center.
-
30% of Hispanic adults in the US had ever earned money through an online gig platform in 2021, against 12% of White adults, according to Pew Research Center.
-
78% of US adults doing app-based gig tasks said the work let them set flexible hours in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
61% of US adults doing app-based gig tasks wished their pay was more consistent in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
| Group | Did any gig activity |
|---|---|
| Ages 18 to 29 | 26% |
| Ages 30 to 44 | 24% |
| Ages 45 to 59 | 21% |
| Ages 60 and over | 12% |
| Hispanic | 24% |
| White | 19% |
| Black | 19% |
| Asian | 17% |
| Men | 21% |
| Women | 19% |
| Students | 30% |
| Parents of children under 13 | 26% |
| All adults | 20% |
Gig economy earnings and receipts
Gig earnings are low for most workers but large in total. The Census Bureau tracks receipts of sole proprietors in gig-heavy industries, and the largest platforms report what they pay out.
Sole proprietors in gig-related industries took in about $152.6 billion in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's Nonemployer Statistics. Taxi and limousine services led with $39.9 billion, up 62.2% on 2018, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. The number of taxi and limousine sole proprietors grew more slowly, by 14.9%, so receipts per business rose. Couriers and messengers became the largest gig industry by business count, with 1,430,708 sole proprietors, but averaged only about $13,100 in receipts each.
Pay for individual workers is modest. Full-time contingent workers had median weekly earnings of $838 in July 2023, $299 less than noncontingent workers. In the SHED, 31% of gig workers said they would struggle to make ends meet without gig income. Adults doing app-based tasks were 20 points less likely than adults with no gig work to be doing okay financially, calculated by StatisticsGlobal.
Platform filings show the scale. Over 9 million people completed deliveries on DoorDash in 2025 and earned over $20 billion between them. That is roughly $2,200 each, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from the two rounded figures, which fits a workforce where most people work a few hours. Uber completed about 37.2 million trips a day in 2025. These are worldwide totals, and the DoorDash count includes anyone who dashed at least once in the year. See small business statistics for the wider nonemployer picture.
Source: US Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics. Industries in the top five by receipts in both years.
-
Gig-related sole proprietorships in the US had receipts of about $152.6 billion in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau.
-
1,430,708 US sole proprietorships worked in couriers and messengers in 2023, the most of any gig industry, according to the US Census Bureau.
-
1,355,360 US sole proprietorships worked in taxi and limousine services in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau.
-
US taxi and limousine sole proprietorships had receipts of $39.9 billion in 2023, the most of any gig industry, according to the US Census Bureau.
-
US taxi and limousine sole proprietorships grew 14.9% in number between 2018 and 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: Taxi and limousine individual proprietorships: 1,355,360 in 2023 / 1,179,167 in 2018 - 1 = 14.94% (Census NES).
-
Receipts of US taxi and limousine sole proprietorships rose 62.2% between 2018 and 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: Taxi and limousine receipts: $39.9 billion in 2023 / $24.6 billion in 2018 - 1 = 62.2% (Census NES).
-
US child care sole proprietorships fell 9.6% in number between 2018 and 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: Child care services individual proprietorships: 529,554 in 2023 / 585,886 in 2018 - 1 = -9.61% (Census NES).
-
US courier and messenger sole proprietorships averaged about $13,100 in receipts each in 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: Couriers and messengers receipts $18.7 billion / 1,430,708 individual proprietorships = $13,070, rounded to $13,100 (Census NES 2023).
-
US taxi and limousine sole proprietorships averaged about $29,400 in receipts each in 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: Taxi and limousine receipts $39.9 billion / 1,355,360 individual proprietorships = $29,439, rounded to $29,400 (Census NES 2023).
-
Full-time contingent workers in the US had median weekly earnings of $838 in July 2023, 74% of the $1,137 for noncontingent workers, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-
Full-time contingent workers in the US earned $299 a week less than noncontingent workers at the median in July 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: Median weekly earnings, full-time workers, sole or main job: noncontingent $1,137 minus contingent $838 = $299 (BLS, July 2023).
-
31% of US gig workers said they would have trouble making ends meet without gig income in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board.
-
US adults doing app-based gig tasks were 20 points less likely than non-gig adults to be doing okay financially in 2024, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Federal Reserve Board data.
How we calculated it: Doing okay or living comfortably: no gig activity 75% minus platform tasks 55% = 20 points (SHED 2024, table 7).
-
58% of current or recent US gig platform workers called their gig income essential or important for basic needs in 2021, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Pew Research Center data.
How we calculated it: Essential 23% plus important 35% = 58% of current or recent gig platform workers (Pew, August 2021).
-
Over 9 million people completed deliveries on DoorDash in 2025, according to DoorDash, Inc.
-
DoorDash couriers earned a total of over $20 billion in 2025, according to DoorDash, Inc.
-
DoorDash couriers earned roughly $2,200 each on average in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from DoorDash, Inc. data.
How we calculated it: Over $20 billion total Dasher earnings / over 9 million people who dashed = about $2,222, rounded to $2,200 (DoorDash 10-K 2025). Both inputs are rounded floors, so this is a rough average.
-
Uber completed 13.6 billion trips worldwide in 2025, up from 11.3 billion in 2024, according to Uber Technologies, Inc.
-
Uber completed about 37.2 million trips a day worldwide in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Uber Technologies, Inc. data.
How we calculated it: 13,567 million trips in 2025 / 365 days = 37.17 million a day (Uber Q4 and full year 2025 results).
-
Uber had gross bookings of $193.5 billion in 2025, against $162.8 billion in 2024, according to Uber Technologies, Inc.
| Industry | Receipts 2023 | Receipts 2018 | Sole proprietorships 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi and limousine services | $39.9 bn | $24.6 bn | 1,355,360 |
| Independent artists, writers and performers | $25.4 bn | $18.9 bn | 1,043,306 |
| Janitorial services | $20.0 bn | $14.0 bn | 1,072,010 |
| Couriers and messengers | $18.7 bn | Not in 2018 top five | 1,430,708 |
| Landscaping services | $15.3 bn | $10.8 bn | Not in 2023 top five |
Gig economy statistics UK
The UK has no regular official count of gig workers. The best estimates come from two government-commissioned surveys, from 2017 and 2023.
The 2017 survey for the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) found 4.4% of adults in Great Britain had done gig work in the previous 12 months. That is roughly 2.8 million people. The survey's 95% confidence interval runs from 3.2% to 6.0%, so the true figure could be well above or below the headline. Courier work was the most common type, done by 42% of gig workers.
Gig income was small for most. The median was £375 over 12 months, while the mean was £5,634, pulled up by a few high earners. Only 8% saw gig earnings as their main source of income. Over half of gig workers (56%) were aged 18 to 34.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) ran a newer survey in 2023 on employment status, not gig work as such. 24% of adults aged 18 to 64 had work that did not fit neatly as employee or self-employed. 10% of that group got work and pay through an app. That implies about 2.4% of adults, calculated by StatisticsGlobal. This is a floor for platform work, because it leaves out app workers who had already been classed as employees or self-employed.
-
About 2.8 million people in Great Britain had worked in the gig economy in the previous 12 months in 2017, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
-
42% of gig workers in Great Britain had done courier work in the previous 12 months in 2017, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
-
56% of gig workers in Great Britain were aged 18 to 34 in 2017, against 27% of the whole sample, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
-
Median gig economy income in Great Britain was £375 over 12 months in 2017, against a mean of £5,634, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
-
8% of gig workers in Great Britain saw gig earnings as their main source of income in 2017, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
-
10% of the UK unassigned status workforce got work and pay through an online platform or app in 2023, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade.
-
About 2.4% of UK adults aged 18 to 64 were platform workers with an unclear employment status in 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from UK Department for Business and Trade data.
How we calculated it: Unassigned status workforce 24% of adults aged 18 to 64 x 10% of that group doing platform work = 2.4% (DBT Employment status survey 2023). Excludes platform workers already screened as employees or self-employed.
| Survey | Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| BEIS and NatCen, summer 2017 | Adults in Great Britain doing gig work in the past 12 months | 4.4% (about 2.8 million) |
| BEIS and NatCen, summer 2017 | Gig workers doing courier work | 42% |
| BEIS and NatCen, summer 2017 | Median gig income over 12 months | £375 |
| DBT Employment status survey, May to June 2023 | Unassigned status workforce getting work and pay via an app | 10% |
| DBT Employment status survey, May to June 2023 | UK adults aged 18 to 64 in that group (calculated) | About 2.4% |
How the sources measure gig work
The gap between 4% and 20% is mostly about definitions. Check which one a figure uses before comparing it.
Household surveys like the BLS supplement ask about a person's main job. That misses most gig work, because most gig workers do it on the side. The SHED asks about gig activity directly, and found that 28% of gig workers said they were not working for pay at all. That helps explain why its rate is far higher.
Tax-based counts like Nonemployer Statistics capture anyone who files business income, including people with a full-time job elsewhere. They cover whole industries, so not every janitor or landscaper in them works through an app. Company figures count everyone who used the platform in the year, whether once or every day.
Several of the best sources are old. Pew last ran its gig survey in 2021 and the latest UK government gig estimate is from 2017. We will update this page when the BLS publishes its 2023 app-based estimates and when the next SHED report includes gig data.
| Source | Method | Latest data | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS Contingent Work Supplement | Household survey, sole or main job | July 2023 | Run rarely. App-based estimates not yet published |
| Federal Reserve SHED | Annual online survey of adults | 2024 | Broad definition that includes selling used items |
| Pew Research Center | American Trends Panel, 10,348 adults | August 2021 | Not repeated since 2021 |
| Census Nonemployer Statistics | Tax records of businesses with no employees | 2023 | Counts businesses in gig-heavy industries, not gig work itself |
| UK BEIS and DBT surveys | NatCen panel surveys | 2017 and 2023 | Small samples, and no regular series |
| Company filings (DoorDash, Uber) | Company-reported totals | 2025 | Worldwide, and counts anyone who worked even once |
Frequently asked questions
How many gig workers are there in the US in 2026?
20% of US adults did some gig activity in the month before the survey in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board. 4% did app-based tasks such as ride-hailing or delivery. The BLS counted 11.9 million independent contractors in July 2023.
Is the gig economy growing compared with previous years?
Slowly, on official measures. Independent contractors rose from 6.9% to 7.4% of US workers between 2017 and 2023, and contingent workers from 3.8% to 4.3%, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Taxi and limousine sole proprietor receipts rose 62.2% from 2018 to 2023, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How much do gig workers earn?
Most earn little from gigs. Median gig income in Great Britain was £375 over 12 months in 2017, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. DoorDash couriers earned roughly $2,200 each on average in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from DoorDash data.
Why do people do gig work?
Mostly for extra money and flexibility. 78% of US adults doing app-based tasks said it let them set flexible hours in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Board. 31% of all gig workers said they would struggle to make ends meet without it.
How many people do gig work in the UK?
4.4% of adults in Great Britain, about 2.8 million people, had done gig work in the previous 12 months in 2017, according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. No newer official count exists.
Who is most likely to do gig work?
Young adults, students and Hispanic adults. 26% of US adults aged 18 to 29 did gig activities in 2024, against 12% of those aged 60 and over, according to the Federal Reserve Board. 30% of students did gigs.
Sources
- Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2024: Employment and Gig Work, May 2025 (page updated 28 October 2025). Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements, July 2023 (USDL-24-2311 news release), 8 November 2024. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Census Bureau, Nonemployer Businesses are Key Contributors to Gig Activities and Economic Growth Nationally, 1 July 2025. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- Pew Research Center, The State of Gig Work in 2021, 8 December 2021. Link · Saved data copy
- DoorDash, Inc., Form 10-K annual report for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2025, February 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Uber Technologies, Inc., Uber Announces Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025, 4 February 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, The characteristics of those in the gig economy (final report, NatCen and BEIS), February 2018. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- UK Department for Business and Trade, Employment status in the UK 2023: survey, 27 May 2025. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
Changes to this page
- : Page published with BLS data to July 2023, Federal Reserve data for 2024, Census data for 2023 and company filings for 2025.