More Filipinos engage in gig work for additional revenue

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

Technological advancements and the pandemic accelerated the Philippine gig work economy, but it is still being viewed only as an additional revenue stream, according to market research company Ipsos.

Ipsos Strategy3 Principal Christine P. Dugay said that gig work is becoming a new frontier for the Philippine labor market.

More Filipinos are going into gig work not just for additional income but to enjoy flexibility in time and location, she added.

“The gig economy has experienced significant growth in recent years, ushered in primarily by the pandemic, as well as technological advancements that we have seen in recent years,” she said in a press briefing on Friday.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Ms. Dugay said that 9.9 million Filipinos are engaging in gig work as of 2022, representing 22% of the total employee population of 44 million.

“We also see that aside from global players, we also have local players coming into the space,” she added.

The study further revealed that gig workers engage in side hustles only to supplement their main revenue streams.

“Sixty-one percent of gig workers are in it part time. This is because a lot of them actually, or 31%, have full-time employment, and 16% have their own businesses,” she added.

“So, what is unique to the Philippines is that gig work is considered a secondary business,” she added.

Despite this, the report revealed that six out of ten Filipino gig workers see side hustles as a strategic choice and a viable long-term career option.