Gig economy offers more freedom and choice

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A coach gives swimming lessons in Qingdao, Shandong province (WANG JILIN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Li Wenjing, 36, said she was close to despair in June when she decided to quit her full-time job with a multinational company because of the numerous business conferences she had to attend.

“I felt as though I was drowning in an endless wave of meetings that had extremely limited outcomes,” Li, a talent management expert, said. “I didn’t see any meaning in my work. This made me feel bad.”

For the first time in 12 years she quit a job without having another to go to. She spent two months travelling in China with her family, she said, which was her longest holiday since she embarked on her career. When the holiday ended she decided to enter the world of flexible employment, and now owns a human-resources consulting business, which has two other full-time employees.

Working with two other professionals, one in the United Kingdom and the other in Denmark, she offers consulting services on organisational design and development, using the experience gained from all the companies she has worked for. Her income has risen and she works flexible hours, she said.

She spends more time with her five-year-old son, and does not have to commute or attend numerous meetings. She also works with a number of consultants. Collectively, Li and the consultants are known as gig workers.

Deliverers work in Dongguan, Guangdong province ( ZHAN YOUBIN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

When Diane Mulcahy, author of The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide To Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, And Financing The Life You Want, was asked to define the idea of the gig economy during an interview in 2017, she said anyone who is a consultant, contractor, freelancer, part-time worker or on-demand worker, is part of this economy.

Basically, there are many ways to describe gig workers, but they all point towards a shift in the way people operate, with more of them deciding their working hours.

In China, while the concept of flexible employment is increasingly favoured, gig workers are mostly fostered through robust development of the internet and technology.

Bao Chunlei, associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, said flexible employment refers to working hours, locations and payments that are not fixed, different from a conventional employment format based on industrialisation.

At a Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security news conference in May, it was disclosed that China had about 200 million workers in flexible employment.

China is advancing its economic transition, and these workers reflect a nationwide trend. The services sector has the most flexible employment, and it contributes 54.5 per cent to China’s GDP.

Li said she had little to worry about when she started a project-based career on her own. After 12 years in talent management and organisational development, she had an outstanding resume and was well-connected in her field. Her previous clients continued to approach her with work.

However, many such workers are not so fortunate. Most leave full-time positions without knowing what the future holds. Wu Guoyuan, an independent career consultant who liaises regularly with Li, said that when he became self-employed in 2007, he struggled to break even, as it takes time to build a good reputation among clients.

According to labour economists, although tough starts are commonly experienced by those working flexible hours, the strong growth of technology and the internet has helped greatly in making gig employment an ideal choice.

The fast-growing, internet-based platform economy has produced tens of millions of gig jobs, providing workers with a cushion when they switch careers. Educational qualifications and age requirements for such jobs are far more relaxed compared with other employment, making it easier for migrant employees to find employment in cities.

Bao of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security said, “A recent report on China’s shared economy shows that when the pandemic hit, new business models such as delivery and ride-hailing services showed great resilience and development potential.”

Previously published on Chinadaily.com.cn