Overview of Attempts to Measure the Gig Economy with Considering the Role of Data in Making Managerial Decisions

Abstract

Gig economy, in the 21st century, defined as an economy model based on digital platforms, is a concept that has been present in the economy for at least a dozen years. Nevertheless, there are still many difficulties in measuring the actual size of this market. Finding a proper method of measuring the gig economy market that has as few weaknesses as possible is a must-have for analyses of the freelance economy and use of this data for the managing team or company. The main purpose of this study is to present various ways of measuring the scale of the gig economy market and to specify - based on the literature, reports, and author's own research - the advantages and weaknesses of described methods, taking into account the possible causes. A review of available methods and their comparison allows to conclude that there is currently no concept of gig economy measurement that makes it possible fully reliable assessment of the scale of this part of the market. Currently used concepts (e.g., surveys and tax data analysis) allow for an approximate assessment of the scale of the market but are not without limitations.