An loga, Ma e ž; Huđek, I ona
A icle
Analysis o wo ke s' pe cep ion and demog aphic ac o s:
An insigh in o he Slo enian gig economy
Naše gospoda s o / Ou Economy
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Facul y o Economics and Business, Uni e si y o Ma ibo
Sugges ed Ci a ion: An loga, Ma e ž; Huđek, I ona (2024) : Analysis o wo ke s' pe cep ion and
demog aphic ac o s: An insigh in o he Slo enian gig economy, Naše gospoda s o / Ou
Economy, ISSN 2385-8052, Sciendo, Wa saw, Vol. 70, Iss. 2, pp. 32-46,
h ps://doi.o g/10.2478/ngoe-2024-0010
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NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
32
Analysis o Wo ke s’ Pe cep ion and Demog aphic Fac o s
- An Insigh In o he Slo enian Gig Economy
Ma e ž An loga, s uden a, I ona Huđek*a
a Uni e si y o Ma ibo , Facul y o Economics and Business, Razlago a 14, 2000 Ma ibo , Slo enia
ma e z.an loga@s uden .um.si, i [email protected]
ARTICLE INFO
Abs ac
This s udy examines he gig economy in Slo enia, wi h a pa icula
emphasis on he pe cei ed bene i s and challenges o gig wo ke s
wi hin his eme ging labou model. The esea ch aims o cap u e he
implica ions o lexible, p ojec -
based employmen in a smalle
Eu opean con ex , as his end becomes inc easingly p e alen
globally. A quan i a i e app oach was employed o su ey 34 gig
wo ke s in Slo enia. The su ey analysed hei demog aphic
cha ac e is ics, easons o engaging in gig wo k, and he bene i s and
challenges hey expe ience. In he indings, 64% o esponden s
speci ically iden i ied schedule lexibili y as a p edominan bene i o
gig wo k. Howe e , i also unco e s subs an ial challenges, including
inc eased ma ke compe i ion and a lack o social bene i s. Mo eo e ,
he esea ch sugges s ha pe cep ions o he gig wo k bene i s a e
widely acknowledged ac oss a ious age g oups and educa ional le els,
wi h no signi ican a ia ion. Ne e heless, he indings indica e a
gende dispa i y in gig wo k pe cep ions, wi h males pe cei ing highe
le els o inancial eedom and p o essional de elopmen han women.
This esea ch sugges s he need o policies aimed a ensu ing equi y
and u he esea ch in o ha monizing gig wo k wi h suppo i e labou
ma ke policies.
In oduc ion
Sel -employmen is a g owing end ha p o ides an al e na i e o
adi ional employmen . As no ed by Bögenhold & Klinglmai (2016), i
is also known as independen en ep eneu ship and enables indi iduals
o pu sue hei desi e o independence and achie e hei
en ep eneu ial aspi a ions. Global ends indica e ha an inc easing
numbe o sel -employed indi iduals a e joining he so-called gig
economy, which is based on lexible, p ojec -based wo k (Henley &
Lang 2017; Ka lsson & W anne, 2019). As he gig economy allows
O iginal Scien i ic A icle
A icle his o y:
Recei ed Ap il 2024
Re ised May 2024
Accep ed May 2024
JEL Classi ica ion
J26, L26, M54
Keywo ds:
Gig economy
Flexibili y
P o essional de elopmen
Social bene i s
Demog aphic dispa i ies
UDK: 331.102.12(497.4)
DOI: 10.2478/ngoe-2024-0010
Ci e his a icle as An loga, M. & Huđek, I.
(2024). Analysis o wo ke s' pe cep ion and
demog aphic ac o s - an insigh in o he
Slo enian gig economy. Naše
gospoda s o/Ou Economy, 70(2), 32-46.
DOI: 10.2478/ngoe-2024-0010
©2024 The Au ho s. Published by Sciendo
on behal o he Uni e si y o Ma ibo ,
Facul y o Economics and Business,
Slo enia. This is an open-access a icle
unde he CC BY-NC-
ND license
(h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/).
*Co esponding au ho
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
33
indi iduals o ocus on p ojec s ha bes ma ch hei
skills and in e es s, his end demons a es he g owing
popula i y o he independen pa h (Poon, 2019). This
wo king model no only suppo s he desi e o au onomy
and lexibili y bu also p o ides oppo uni ies o
inno a ion, p o essional de elopmen , and c ea i i y
wi hin he labou ma ke .
The gig economy is an economic model ha connec s
independen wo ke s wi h clien s h ough an
in e media y web pla o m o applica ion (Figu e 1). I is
a labou ma ke ha o e s sho - e m jobs, wi h wo ke s
engaged on a con ac ual basis o o speci ic p ojec s
(Hauben e al., 2020; Huđek & Ši ec, 2023). Independen
wo ke s in he gig economy ely on digi al pla o ms o
access a global ma ke and connec wi h po en ial
clien s e icien ly.
Figu e 1
The gig economy model
Sou ce: S ewa & S an o d, 2017
Independen wo ke s in he gig economy a e no
a ilia ed wi h any company and ha e he eedom o
a ange hei wo king hou s. This allows hem o wo k
whene e hey wan and on mul iple p ojec s
simul aneously. The algo i hms o digi al pla o ms
acili a e ma chmaking be ween wo ke s and clien s,
conside ing skills, a ings, a ailabili y, and wo ke s'
engagemen his o y (Wood e al., 2019).
S a is a's Resea ch Depa men (2022) o ecas s s eady
g ow h o he gig economy. F om 2018 o 2022, i s alue
nea ly doubled om $204 billion o $401.4 billion,
indica ing i s ansi ion om a empo a y end o a
s aple in he mode n wo k en i onmen , o e ing
al e na i es o adi ional employmen . A s udy by
Gómez-Rey e al. (2021) highligh ed he subs an ial
g ow h o he gig economy, a ibu ing his expansion o
echnological ad ancemen s and changing wo k
p e e ences among younge gene a ions. I men ioned
ha by 2021, gig wo ke s ep esen ed 35% o he
wo k o ce, amoun ing o 57 million wo ke s and o e 1
illion USD in annual ma ke size. Ano he s udy by
Subbiah (2023) discussed he gig economy's scale and i s
po en ial o se e up o 90 million jobs in India,
sugges ing a global end owa d gig wo k.
Mo eo e , he in luence o echnology on he gig
economy is signi ican . Nea ly 80% o independen
en ep eneu s s a e ha echnology makes i easie o
hem o ind wo k (Upwo k, 2022). Acco ding o da a om
he company Payonee , o e 70% o independen
en ep eneu s p ima ily ind wo k h ough online
pla o ms. This new digi al collabo a ion opens up an
unexplo ed a ea in he ield o employmen , p omp ing
companies o adap apidly o he new eali y o gig wo k
(Kulach, 2023).
Many expe s belie e ha he COVID-19 pandemic has
been pa icula ly s imula i e o his ecosys em.
Acco ding o Uma e al. (2020), he gig economy has
been signi ican ly impac ed by COVID-19, esul ing in an
inc ease in gig wo k due o economic dis up ions.
Addi ionally, he pandemic has c ea ed a g ea e need o
lexibili y and digi aliza ion o business ope a ions,
leading o an inc eased demand o lexible and p ojec -
based wo k. Fu he mo e, he pandemic has b ough
abou a change in pe spec i e ega ding emo e wo k,
which is now widely conside ed o be he u u e o wo k
(Fo bes e al., 2020). Wi h an inc easing numbe o gig
wo ke s ope a ing om home o sha ed wo kspaces, a
new concep o wo kspace and wo k ime o ganiza ion is
eme ging (Malho a, 2021).
Despi e he g owing ends in he gig economy and u u e
wo k ends, he e is cu en ly no o icial egis e o gig
wo ke s, and unce ain ies ega ding he classi ica ion o
his ype o wo k emain. Howe e , in e es in gig wo k is
g adually inc easing. The e o e, ou s udy aimed o
explo e he gig wo ke s in Slo enia, including hei
sec o s o ac i i y, easons o choosing his o m o
employmen , signi ican ad an ages, and challenges
aced. Fu he mo e, he esea ch aimed o iden i y any
demog aphic di e ences among gig wo ke s who pu sue
his ca ee pa h. The aim was o gain a mo e p o ound
comp ehension o he dynamics o he gig economy in
Slo enia and o p o ide insigh s in o he speci ics ha
cha ac e ize his inc easingly popula o m o wo k.
Add essing he ques ion o who cons i u es he gig
wo k o ce p esen s a complex challenge, as a a ie y o
a iables in luence an indi idual's likelihood o engaging
in gig wo k. Howe e , acco ding o demog aphic ends,
younge indi iduals, seem o be mo e inclined owa ds
gig wo k due o hei p e e ence o lexible employmen
and ecep i eness o echnology (Upwo k, 2023).
F ikha, N., Bad Gabsi, F.
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
34
Acco ding o Chu chill & C aig (2019), he e is also a
gende dispa i y in he gig economy, wi h men
ou numbe ing women. Women ep esen only a ound
30% o gig wo ke s, while men ep esen 70%, and a e
less likely o engage in gig wo k. Howe e , in ecen
yea s, he e has been a no able inc ease in women's
pa icipa ion in he gig economy, con ibu ing o g ea e
gende equali y. The lexibili y and au onomy o e ed by
gig wo k appeal o bo h gende s, leading o a signi ican
ise in mo he s op ing o eelance wo k. This lexibili y
enables wo ke s o manage hei wo k and pe sonal
esponsibili ies, including ca egi ing du ies (Duggan,
2022).
P e ious s udies ha e shown a dis inc ion be ween mo e
and less educa ed indi iduals in gig wo k (MacDonald &
Giazi zoglu, 2019). I is impo an o no e ha he gig
economy is commonly associa ed wi h employmen in
sec o s such as ood deli e y and anspo a ion se ices,
and can be linked o job p eca i y. Howe e , i is
impo an o no e ha he gig economy encompasses no
only low-skilled labou , bu also highly skilled
p o essionals, so-called eelance s, o sel -employed
c ea i es. This di e se g oup includes independen
consul an s, IT specialis s, ansla o s, g aphic designe s,
inancial analys s, c ea i e wo ke s, enginee s, ma ke ing
and communica ion expe s, and e en heal hca e
p o ide s and lawye s. I is wo h no ing ha while hey
may no be physically p esen on he s ee s, hey o e
hei se ices o a global clien ele. This segmen has he
po en ial o d i e u u e economic de elopmen and
inno a ion, which has ye o be ully ealized (Upwo k,
2023).
Acco dingly, he pape e alua es a ious aspec s o he
gig economy, such as i s occupa ions and easons o
choosing non- adi ional employmen . I ocuses on
assessing how gig wo ke s in Slo enia pe cei e he
bene i s o his wo k and whe he hey ou weigh
po en ial d awbacks, such as income ins abili y, lack o
social and employmen p o ec ion, and di icul ies in
acqui ing clien s and p ojec s independen ly. The s udy
used he Mann-Whi ney U es o examine po en ial
dispa i ies in gende , age and educa ional a ainmen o
con i m he inclusi eness o his new ca ee pa h.
The pu pose o his pape is o p o ide p elimina y
empi ical e idence ha could se e as a ounda ion o
policy o mula ion and guide businesses abou he
cu en condi ions and possible u u e ends o he gig
economy in Slo enia.
The a icle is s uc u ed in a manne ha ini ially
add esses heo e ical s a ing poin s and esea ch
hypo heses, ollowed by a desc ip ion o he
me hodology implemen ed in conduc ing he esea ch.
Subsequen ly, he esea ch esul s a e p esen ed and
discussed, and he conclusion encompasses he key
indings, limi a ions o he s udy, and sugges ions o
u u e esea ch ini ia i es.
Theo e ical s a ing poin s and esea ch
hypo heses
As men ioned in he in oduc ion, he gig economy is a
labou ma ke whe e empo a y and pa - ime oles a e
p edominan ly occupied by independen con ac o s o
eelance en ep eneu s, as opposed o ull- ime,
pe manen employmen posi ions. In addi ion, his
s uc u e enables employe s o sa e money by a oiding
expenses ela ed o bene i s like heal h insu ance and
paid lea e. Some employe s may o e speci ic bene i s o
gig wo ke s while ou sou cing adminis a ion and
managemen esponsibili ies o ex e nal agencies (Vallas
& Scho , 2020). The gig economy is d i en by he desi e
o au onomy and lexibili y. I o e s a di e se ange o
oppo uni ies o lexible wo k and en ep eneu ship,
which is highly a ac i e o many. Howe e , i is c ucial
o acknowledge he ade-o s ha come wi h i .
Pa icipan s mus na iga e a lexible landscape ha lacks
job secu i y (Rani, 2021).
Oppo uni ies in he gig economy
In he gig economy, indi iduals ha e he oppo uni y o
ea n money ei he as hei p ima y sou ce o income o
as a supplemen a y sou ce wi hou being bound o ull-
ime hou s (TeamS age, 2023). The job ma ke has
unde gone signi ican changes since he pandemic in
2021, esul ing in a shi in employmen s a is ics. While
ull- ime pe manen posi ions we e gene ally mo e
alued han gig wo k in he pas , he cu en job ma ke
o e s a ange o oppo uni ies o indi iduals o pu sue
hei ca ee goals. The idea ha gig economy wo k is
always a seconda y op ion is no longe accu a e. Recen
s udies show ha 61% o independen indi iduals
conside i a choice a he han a necessi y. As he
numbe o sel -employed wo ke s con inues o ise, he
need o a collabo a i e wo kspace will become essen ial.
Wo ke s will seek comp ehensi e solu ions o easy job
sea ching, while employe s will aim o connec wi h
skilled p o essionals wi hou ba ie s. The gig economy
p o ides a g ea e space o each pe son o de elop hei
alen s and abili ies, ins ead o expec ing indi iduals o
dedica e hemsel es o wo k du ing egula wo king
hou s (Ho ney, 2016).
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
35
Flexibili y o li e
The p ima y ad an age o he gig economy lies in i s
unpa alleled lexibili y, empowe ing wo ke s wi h he
eedom o selec hei wo king hou s, loca ions, and he
olume o wo k hey unde ake. The gig economy no
only p o ides lexibili y and wo k-li e balance bu is also
sui able o people looking o ex a income o in e es ed
in di e en ac i i ies o p ojec s wi hou being
cons ained by ull- ime employmen (Ka snelson &
Obe holze -Gee, 2021). The su ey’s esul s indica e ha
he main easons o choosing gig wo k a e lexibili y and
au onomy (Manyika e al., 2016; Mal & BCD, 2021).
Consequen ly, people ha e a high le el o con ol o e
he wo kload and he se o asks hey pe o m, which
undoub edly a ec s he lexibili y o hei li es. They
ha e he oppo uni y o choose which ask o pe o m,
based on ac o s such as ees and cus ome , o iming,
and can change hei decision la e on. Mo eo e , he gig
economy p esen s new oppo uni ies o women by
enhancing hei lexibili y in e ms o wo k-li e balance.
Acco ding o Roy and Sh i as a a (2020), companies a e
incen i ized o hi e gig wo ke s o hei high lexibili y,
he digi al explosion, and he o e whelming ansi ion
owa ds emo e wo k. Hence, he gig economy o e s an
oppo uni y o indi iduals o cus om design hei ca ee s
depending on pe sonal goals, li es yle choices and needs
a di e en li e s ages and p o ides a le el o
indi idualized con ol and independence ha he
adi ional wo k en i onmen canno o e .
Financial eedom
Online labou pla o ms p o ide a low ba ie o en y
in o he gig economy. They enable anyone o, ega dless
o hei skill le el, join he gig economy and de e mine
how, whe e, o whom, when, and how long hey wo k.
Fo ins ance, business en i ies a e a ac ed o gig
wo ke s because hey ob ain immedia e access o
sui able expe s, educe ope a ing cos s, and ind
solu ions as e (ILO & OECD, 2021). Also, indi iduals
wi h ei he a pa - ime o ull- ime job o s uden s
seeking ex a money o und hei s udies can join he gig
economy (He mann, 2023). Addi ionally, he gig
economy p o ides indi iduals wi h he chance o
di e si y hei income sou ces, educing eliance on a
single job o employe . Wi h he g owing popula i y o
gig economy pla o ms and ma ke places, indi iduals can
easily ind gig oppo uni ies ha align wi h hei skills
and in e es s (Heeks, 2022). Consequen ly,
supplemen a y income o indi iduals li ing paycheck o
paycheck wi h ou s anding expenses o li ing expenses,
ex a income migh mean a icke o inancial eedom.
Fo example, a su ey by Upwo k (2021) ound ha 44%
o gig wo ke s epo ed ea ning mo e han hey would in
a adi ional job in 2021, compa ed o 39% in 2020 and
32% in 2019. Fu he mo e, he gig economy allows
indi iduals o explo e di e en ypes o wo k and gain
expe ience in a ious indus ies. This can lead o
pe sonal and p o essional g ow h, as well as he
de elopmen o new skills.
P o essional de elopmen and ad ancemen
In he gig economy, i ms (clien s) seek o le e age he
knowledge, skills and abili ies o gig wo ke s o imp o e
i m pe o mance (Bu ke & Cowling, 2015). Due o he
high le el o compe i ion and sel - eliance inhe en in gig
wo k, wo ke s a e cons an ly engaged in lea ning,
gaining new expe iences, and imp o ing hei skills,
he eby unco e ing and u ilizing hidden capabili ies
(Ba nes e al., 2015). This pu sui o p o essional
de elopmen and ad ancemen encou ages wo ke s o
de elop new skills and acili a es he o ma ion o new
con ac s (Malik e al., 2017) and he main enance o
ela ionships wi h p e ious clien s. P o essionals aiming
o ca ee g ow h and ongoing lea ning o en see gig
wo k as a chance o p o essional de elopmen . They
choose gigs o di e si y hei skills and expe iences,
a ou ing his app oach o quickly gain insigh in o
a ious oles and sec o s. This s a egy helps hem widen
hei ca ee scope and boos hei job p ospec s. A he
same ime, his app oach o en leads o g ea e job
sa is ac ion and ul ilmen in hei chosen ca ee pa h
(Taylo , 2017).
Based on he abo e, we p opose he ollowing hypo hesis
H1: Slo enian gig wo ke s p ima ily pe cei e lexibili y as
he mos signi ican eason o engaging in he gig
economy.
Di e si y o Inclusion
The gig economy o e s oppo uni ies o a di e se ange
o indi iduals, including hose wo king ou side hei
home coun y, wi hou o mal quali ica ions, wi h
domes ic esponsibili ies, o acing disabili ies o heal h
limi a ions. The gig economy is a ac i e because i
allows o con ol o e wo k schedules, making i easie
o balance p o essional and pe sonal commi men s
(G aham e al., 2017).
Remo e wo k h ough online pla o ms can educe
disc imina ion cues p esen in adi ional physical wo k
en i onmen s, such as hose ela ed o disabili y, accen ,
d ess s yle, and age, hus p omo ing a mo e inclusi e
F ikha, N., Bad Gabsi, F.
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
36
wo k en i onmen . De la (2023) emphasizes he
po en ial o he gig economy o inc ease women's
p o essional ac i i y, p oposing i as a way o b eak he
cycle o p o essional passi i y on a mac oeconomic scale.
Kaine and Josse and (2019) examine he o ganiza ion and
expe ience o wo k in he gig economy, highligh ing how
i is especially a ac i e o s uden s, s ay-a -home
pa en s, and ull- ime employees seeking addi ional
income sou ces.
He mann e al. (2023) examine he impac o he gig
economy on he adi ional educa ion-income pa adigm.
This pa adigm ypically associa es highe educa ional
a ainmen wi h highe income le els. The s udy ocuses
on jobs acili a ed by online pla o ms whe e educa ional
ce i ica es a e no a equi emen o job access. The
au ho s u ilize a mixed-me hod app oach. The s udy
analysed 1,607 gig wo ke s ac oss 14 Wes e n economies
h ough quan i a i e analysis and quali a i e insigh s
om in-dep h in e iews. I was ound ha educa ional
a ainmen did no ha e a s a is ically signi ican
co ela ion wi h wage le els wi hin he gig economy.
Ins ead, he pla o m's e iew sys em and he gig
wo ke s' le el o p e ious job expe ience we e iden i ied
as majo signalling mechanisms o educing in o ma ion
asymme y be ween gig wo ke s and employe s.
These insigh s highligh he gig economy's ole in
p omo ing a di e se and inclusi e labou ma ke ,
p o iding employmen op ions lexible enough o mee
a ious needs and p e e ences. Based on he abo e
conside a ions and ocusing on Slo enian gig wo ke s,
we assume he ollowing hypo heses:
H2: The e a e s a is ical di e ences in pe cep ions o
inancial eedom, lexibili y o li e, and pe sonal
de elopmen and ad ancemen among Slo enian gig
wo ke s ega ding gende .
H3: The e a e s a is ical di e ences in pe cep ions o
inancial de elopmen , li e lexibili y, and pe sonal
de elopmen and ad ancemen among Slo enian gig
wo ke s ega ding age.
H4: The e a e s a is ical di e ences in pe cep ions o
inancial de elopmen , li e lexibili y, and pe sonal
de elopmen and ad ancemen among Slo enian gig
wo ke s ega ding educa ional le el.
Challenges in he gig economy
The gig economy, while o e ing lexibili y and di e se
job oppo uni ies, p esen s signi ican challenges o
wo ke s, including a lack o social bene i s, income
unp edic abili y and inc easing compe i ion.
Inequali y o social bene i s and unp edic abili y o success
and paymen
The employmen s a us o gig wo ke s di e s om ha
o adi ional employees. Gig economy wo ke s a e
employed o a speci ic pe iod and on a con ac basis,
which means hey a e dep i ed o many igh s ha come
wi h adi ional employmen ela ionships. They do no
ecei e addi ional inancial bene i s, pension
con ibu ions, o social secu i y (Kajwang, 2022).
Consequen ly, gig economy wo ke s do no ecei e
assis ance om he online wo k pla o m bu mus ob ain
i hemsel es. Indi iduals a e equi ed o pay axes and
ob ain insu ance. Addi ionally, he e may be obs acles o
en y ela ed o echnical and digi al skills, as well as he
necessa y echnical in as uc u e and knowledge.
I is impo an o no e ha sel -employmen in he gig
economy may no always esul in success in a chosen
job. As a esul , he wo k low and paymen s uc u e can
be unce ain, and he e may be ins ances whe e
paymen s a e delayed o pe cei ed as un ai conce ning
he e o o knowledge in es ed. In compa ison o
employees in companies who ypically ecei e a ixed
and p edic able sala y, gig wo ke s mus pe sis en ly
manage hei p ojec s wi h mul iple clien s and
employe s o ensu e a consis en and dependable s eam
o income ha is su icien o co e hei li ing expenses.
Addi ionally, hey mus exe signi ican e o o acqui e
clien s and ma ke hemsel es o secu e wo k (Huđek,
2022). Mo eo e , Muldoon and Raeks ad (2022) examine
he no ion o algo i hmic domina ion, whe eby gig
wo ke s a e subjec ed o no el o ms o manage ial
con ol h ough algo i hms. This may impac wo k
condi ions and add o he unce ain y o gig wo k,
especially abou job assignmen s and paymen s.
Inc easing compe i ion on pla o ms
The g ow h o he gig economy has led o an inc ease in
compe i ion among gig wo ke s on online pla o ms. As a
esul , he e is now g ea e compe i ion o each job o
p ojec . This has led o employe s and clien s o en
selec ing p o ide s who o e lowe p ices o hei wo k,
which in u n has esul ed in a educ ion in paymen s.
The e o e, o emain compe i i e, wo ke s need o
dis inguish hemsel es h ough high-quali y wo k,
special skills, o lowe p ices. This end no only
inc eases he p essu e on gig wo ke s o con inuously
imp o e hei skills and e iciency bu also educes hei
ba gaining powe abou paymen s and wo king
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
37
condi ions (Schwellnus, 2019). Acco ding o Tan e al.
(2020), he e hical challenges posed by he gig economy,
pa icula ly hose conce ning algo i hmic con ol and
wo ke igh s. The au ho s p opose ha he u u e o he
gig economy will be de e mined by egula o y issues.
O e load and exploi a ion o ee ime
Acco ding o Yang (2023), he gig economy p o ides
g ea e lexibili y bu also p esen s challenges such as
inadequa e wel a e p o ec ion and uns able income,
which can lead o job bu nou . This can happen when
wo ke s ake on oo many asks due o inancial
p essu es, in ense compe i ion on pla o ms, o conce ns
abou u u e job oppo uni ies. Acco ding o Ideas (2021),
his si ua ion may lead o a sho age o ime o pe sonal
li e, which could po en ially a ec amily ela ionships
and men al well-being.
Based on he abo e, we p opose he ollowing hypo hesis
H5: Slo enian gig wo ke s p edominan ly pe cei e a lack
o social bene i s as he mos signi ican challenge o
engaging in he gig economy.
This undamen al p oblem unde lies many o he o he
challenges desc ibed, including he need o sel -
p omo ion, compe i ion o wo k, and he po en ial o
job bu nou . The issue o gig wo ke s no ha ing
adi ional employmen p o ec ions, such as a ixed
income, pension con ibu ions, and social secu i y, has a
signi ican impac on wo ke s' abili y o plan o hei
u u e and main ain a s able li elihood and is he e o e a
majo conce n wi hin he s uc u e o he gig economy
(Be g, 2016).
Me hodology
To es he hypo heses, a su ey using a s uc u ed
ques ionnai e was conduc ed among a small sample o
34 esponden s om he Republic o Slo enia. The su ey
was dissemina ed ia he social ne wo k Facebook, in
g oups whe e sel -employed p o essionals o gig wo ke s
cong ega e. Due o he absence o an o icial egis e o
gig wo ke s in Slo enia, he su ey included explici
guidelines o speci y eligibili y o pa icipa ion:
esponden s had o be sel -employed, no in adi ional
employmen , esponsible o hei bene i s, in cha ge o
hei ax decla a ions, ee o choose hei clien s, and
commi ed o unde aking a minimum amoun o p ojec
wo k annually. Addi ionally, o achie e be e di e si y
among esponden p o iles, he su ey was dis ibu ed o
business incuba o s wi h cowo king spaces, which
ci cula ed among hei membe s ac i e in he gig
economy. The su ey was conduc ed o e he cou se o
one mon h, om July 2023 o Augus 2023. Al hough 46
pa icipan s ini ially engaged wi h he su ey, only 34
esponden s comple ed i in i s en i e y. The
ques ionnai e consis ed o s uc u ed closed ques ions.
The i s se o ques ions pe ained o he sample
cha ac e is ics, while he subsequen se s aimed o
examine he easons o choosing gig wo k and o
cap u e pe cep ions abou he bene i s and challenges
associa ed wi h his ype o wo k. Fo he ques ions on
oppo uni ies and challenges, mul iple-choice ques ions
we e employed. Meanwhile, ques ions ega ding
pe cep ions u ilized a 4-poin Like Scale, a su ey
me hodology ha o e s ou esponse op ions o assess
opinions o a i udes. Pa icipan s exp ess hei deg ee o
ag eemen o disag eemen wi h gi en s a emen s by
selec ing one o ou choices: 1 - s ongly disag ee, 2 -
disag ee, 3 - ag ee, o 4 - s ongly ag ee. In addi ion, o
assess Hypo heses 1 – 3, he Mann-Whi ney U es was
employed o se e al easons. Fi s ly, he non-no mal
dis ibu ion o ou da a p ecluded he use o pa ame ic
es s like he - es . Gi en i s non-pa ame ic na u e, he
Mann-Whi ney U es is well-sui ed o analyzing such
da a ypes, ensu ing obus ness and eliabili y e en wi h
small sample sizes. The es enables analysis wi hou
equi ing equali y o a iances o no mali y o
dis ibu ion, making i sui able o small sample sizes and
ca ego ical da a, as encoun e ed in ou s udy. I should
also be no ed ha ou samples a e independen , which is
a undamen al equi emen o he applica ion o he
Mann-Whi ney U es in he esea ch (Denis, 2021).
As p esen ed in Table 1, 59% o esponden s we e male,
while 41% we e emale. O all he esponden s, 18% we e
aged 18 o 24, 29% we e be ween he ages o 25 and 34,
44% esponden s we e aged be ween 35-44, only 3%
we e aged be ween 45 and 54, and 6% we e be ween 55
and 64 yea s old. In e ms o hei educa ion le el, mos
o hem (44%) ha e an unde g adua e deg ee, ollowed
by a high school diploma (29%), a mas e 's deg ee (21%),
an elemen a y school (3%) and a PhD (3%).
Acco ding o Helling (2023), who iden i ied he mos
common ac i i ies in he gig economy, and ou
examina ion o he a ious job ca ego ies on online
labou pla o ms such as Upwo k (2023), we ha e
de e mined he ca ego ies in which Slo enian gig
wo ke s a e mos ac i e. The esul s show ha he h ee
mos common ca ego ies a e Tech & De elopmen (44%),
G aphic Design (18%), and Real Es a e Ren al (15%)
(Figu e 2).
F ikha, N., Bad Gabsi, F.
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
38
Figu e 2
Mos common gig economy job ca ego ies dis ibu ion acco ding o Slo enian gig wo ke s
Sou ce: Au ho s
Table 1
Sample cha ac e is ics
Cha ac e is ic
F equency (n=34)
Pe cen age
Gende
Male
20
59%
Female
14
41%
Age
18-24
6
18%
25-34
10
29%
35-44
15
44%
45-54
1
3%
55-64
2
6%
Educa ion
Elemen a y school
1
3%
High school
10
29%
Unde g adua e deg ee
15
44%
Mas e deg ee
7
21%
PhD
1
3%
Sou ce: Au ho s
Resul s
To es Hypo hesis 1, we in es iga ed pa icipan s'
easons o choosing he gig economy. The da a,
p esen ed in Figu e 3, shows ha 64% o esponden s
alued schedule lexibili y as he mos commonly
selec ed eason. This unde sco es he high ega d many
hold o he adap abili y he gig economy o e s
(Lehdon i a, 2018; Mal & BDC, 2021; Mal , 2024).
Following his, G ea e eedom in choosing p ojec s was
chosen by 48% o esponden s, highligh ing he
impo ance o pe sonal in e es and he pe cei ed
bene i s o p ojec selec ion. The abili y o wo k om home
o any p e e ed loca ion was chosen by 42%, e lec ing
he alue placed on loca ion independence. The leas
popula esponse, chosen by 30% o esponden s, was
Access o a b oade selec ion o clien s, indica ing his
aspec is less c i ical o hose su eyed. Acco dingly, we
con i m Hypo hesis 1, ha Slo enian gig wo ke s
p ima ily pe cei e lexibili y as he mos signi ican
eason o engaging in he gig economy.
Fu he mo e, o ob ain mo e de ailed insigh s, we asked
gig wo ke s on a Like scale ( om 1 o 4) o exp ess hei
pe cep ion o he ou comes o wo king in such a business
ma ke . Speci ically, hey we e asked o e alua e whe he
his al e na i e o m o wo k p o ides hem wi h inancial
eedom, lexibili y in li e, and oppo uni ies o
p o essional de elopmen and ca ee ad ancemen . The
esul s a e displayed in Figu e 4.
In Figu e 4, i is e iden ha 29% o esponden s s ongly
ag ee and 59% ag ee ha gig wo k o e s oppo uni ies
o p o essional de elopmen and ad ancemen . This
means ha o e all, 88% o esponden s see gig wo k as
posi i e o hei p o essional de elopmen . Fu he mo e,
26% s ongly ag ee and 62% ag ee wi h he s a emen
ha gig wo k enables a lexible li e. This shows a high
le el o ag eemen , as 88% o esponden s ag ee wi h he
s a emen ha gig wo k enables a lexible li e, while 50%
s ongly ag ee and 35% ag ee wi h he s a emen ha gig
wo k o e s inancial eedom. The esponses collec i ely
e lec a posi i e pe cep ion o gig wo k, pa icula ly
no ing i s con ibu ions o p o essional de elopmen and
he lexibili y i allows in one’s li e.
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Real Es a e Ren al
G aphic Design
Tech&De elopmen
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
39
Figu e 3
The main easons o choosing wo k in he gig economy
Sou ce: Au ho s
Figu e 4
Pe cep ion o gig wo k bene i s
Sou ce: Au ho s
Addi ionally, we aimed o examine whe he dispa i ies
exis wi hin he demog aphics o he sample. Speci ically,
we wan ed o de e mine i he e a e s a is ical
di e ences in pe cep ions o gig economy ou comes o
pe sonal de elopmen and ad ancemen , li e lexibili y,
and inancial eedom conce ning gende , age, and
educa ion le els. The e o e, we examined he di e ences
in pe cep ions be ween males and emales. Rega ding
age, we ca ego ized i in o wo g oups: he young
demog aphic (18-34 yea s) and he olde demog aphic
(35-64 yea s). Fo educa ional a ainmen , we g ouped
pa icipan s in o wo ca ego ies: hose wi h a mos a
high school diploma and hose wi h mo e han a high
school educa ion.
To achie e hese goals, we ini ially conside ed employing
he independen samples - es , a common s a is ical
me hod o compa ing means be ween wo g oups (Hai
e al., 2008). Rega ding he assump ions o such a es ,
he da a ul ils he equi emen s o independence. The
obse a ions in each sample should be independen and
collec ed using a andom sampling me hod (Bobbi ,
2021). Upon conduc ing a p elimina y da a analysis,
which included Shapi o-Wilk es s o no mali y, i
became e iden ha he assump ion o a no mal
dis ibu ion was no me o he sa is ac ion measu es
ac oss he g oups de ined by gende , age, and educa ion.
Thus, o ensu e he obus ness and eliabili y o ou
s a is ical analysis, we op ed o he Mann-Whi ney U
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Access o a b oade selec ion o clien s
The abili y o wo k om home o o he loca ions o you
choice
G ea e eedom in choosing wo k p ojec s
Schedule lexibili y
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
P o essional de elopmen and ad ancemen
Flexibili y o li e
Finacial eedom
S ongly disag ee Disag ee Ag ee S ongly ag ee
F ikha, N., Bad Gabsi, F.
NAŠE GOSPODARSTVO / OUR ECONOMY 70 (2) 2024
46
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Analiza zazna dela ce in demog a skih deja niko - pogled
slo ensko gig ekonomijo
Iz leček
Ta š udija ob a na a gig ekonomijo Slo eniji, s posebnim pouda kom na zaznanih p ednos ih in izzi ih za gig dela ce
em nas ajajočem modelu dela. Namen aziska e je zaje i posledice p ožnega, p ojek nega zaposlo anja manjšem
e opskem kon eks u, saj a end pos aja se bolj azši jen s e o nem me ilu. S k an i a i nim p is opom je bila iz edena
aziska a med 34 gig dela ci Slo eniji. Namen aziska e je bil analizi a i njiho e demog a ske značilnos i, azloge za
ključi e gig delo e ko is i in izzi e, ki jih doži ljajo. V ugo o i ah je 64 % anke i ance ko p e ladujočo p ednos gig
dela iz ecno na edlo leksibilnos u nika. Venda pa je aziska a azk ila udi p ecejšnje izzi e, ključno z ečjo konku enco
na gu in pomanjkanjem socialnih ugodnos i. Poleg ega aziska a kaže, da je dojemanje p ednos i gig dela splošno
p iznano azličnih s a os nih skupinah in na azličnih a neh izob azbe, p i čeme ni bis enih azlik. Kljub emu pa
ugo o i e kažejo na azlike med spoloma p i zazna anju gig dela, saj moški zazna ajo išjo a en inančne s obode in
poklicnega az oja ko ženske. Raziska a pouda ja zaple eno na a o gig ekonomije, ki usklajuje a onomijo s p ipadajočimi
eganji. Nakazuje po ebo po poli ikah, ka e ih cilj je zago a ljanje enakos i, in nadaljnjih aziska ah o usklaje anju gig
dela s podpo nimi poli ikami ga dela.
Ključne besede: gig ekonomija, leksibilnos , p o esionalni az oj, socialne ugodnos i, demog a ske azlike
