Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy

United States
France
Sweden
Spain
United Kingdom
Germany
DUPLICATE from ES
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2
5
2

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McKinsey Global Institute
1. Sizing the independent workforce 
DIGITAL PLATFORMS ENABLE INDEPENDENT WORK
For more than two decades, digital tools have been expanding the range of services that 
can be performed independently. Freelance editors and accountants work remotely by 
exchanging digital files with their clients. House painters, wedding photographers, and 
caterers find jobs by advertising their services online. Conversely, a department store that 
needs extra help for a seasonal rush may post listings on digital job boards such as Monster.
com in addition to its own website. 
More recently, however, technology has introduced a new twist as digital platforms facilitate 
direct connections between the customer who needs a service performed and a worker 
willing to provide that service. We define “digitally enabled independent work” as work that 
is intermediated through an online marketplace that improves search capabilities, lowers 
coordination costs, and provides richer signaling through mechanisms such as reviews or 
ratings.
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  See Rudy Tellis Jr., 
Digital matching firms: A new definition in the “sharing economy” space
, US Department 
of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, ESA issue brief number 01-16, June 2016, which 
defines “digital matching firms” as “entities that provide online platforms (or marketplaces) that enable 
matching of service providers with customers,” relying on workers with flexible working hours who use their 
own tools and assets to perform the work.
Exhibit 7