From the gig economy to precarious work: finding the right words for a changing world of work

The world of work is changing faster than ever, and so are the ways we work and establish professional relationships. But is language keeping pace with these changes? New forms of work call for new terms, because recognising a new phenomenon is only the first step – we also need to know how to describe it accurately.

Not so long ago, the concepts of workplace, employer and working hours seemed relatively straightforward. An indefinite-term employment contract symbolised security, while seasonal jobs had a clearly defined duration. Today, having a job does not necessarily mean having a single employer, working at one location or being employed full-time. We may work for a client on the other side of the world, accept assignments through digital platforms or collaborate with several clients at once.

These developments have given rise to new forms of work, but they have also created a challenge for the languages we use to describe them. The gig economy is a good example of the gap between developments in the labour market and the terminology used to describe them. Although this model of work is now well established, different languages do not always have a single, widely accepted equivalent. The word gig originally referred to an individual musical performance, often an informal engagement. Today, it also describes a single work assignment. The term gig economy can therefore be understood as an economy based on short-term, individual work assignments.

A related term is platform work, which refers to work organised or facilitated through digital labour platforms. However, the two concepts are not synonymous. The gig economy describes a labour market based on individual, often short-term assignments, whereas platform work emphasises how work is organised through digital platforms. The two may overlap, but they do not necessarily do so: an individual assignment does not require the use of a platform, and work performed through a platform does not have to be short-term.

The gig economy is increasingly associated with digital platforms, particularly those facilitating on-demand work. The term on-demand work highlights the fact that work is performed when a particular need arises. Although it often overlaps with gig work and platform work, it describes a specific feature of the arrangement rather than the entire business model.

Freelancing refers to providing services to different clients outside a traditional employment relationship. The term also has an evocative origin. The expression free lance, meaning a “free spear”, was once associated with a warrior who offered his services to different masters. Today, a freelancer is someone who works independently for one or more clients, typically on a project or assignment basis.

However, freelancing should not be confused with liberal professions, a term used in some European and national legal and tax contexts to describe certain professional activities, often subject to specific regulatory requirements. The precise scope of this category varies across jurisdictions. While a freelancer describes a way of working, a liberal profession may refer to a distinct legal or professional category.

This distinction is particularly important in international communication, where similar-sounding terms may have different meanings under different legal systems.

What about the now-familiar term outsourcing? It refers to entrusting activities or functions to an external service provider rather than performing them internally. In other words, an organisation engages another business to carry out work on its behalf.

Outsourcing should not be confused with remote work or working from an off-site location. In outsourcing, an external provider takes responsibility for delivering a service or performing certain activities. In remote work, an employee works away from the employer's prem, also refers to an activity pursued to generate additional income alongside one's main occupation. However, it often carries a stronger entrepreneurial connotation. A side hustle might involve freelance assignments, selling products online, running a small business or developing a commercial project outside regular working hours.

Let us conclude this exploration of workplace terminology with a concept that captures one of the central challenges of contemporary employment: precarious work.

The term describes work characterised by insecurity, particularly in relation to employment continuity, income and working conditions.

In practical terms, insecure forms of work provide a straightforward explanation of what precarious work entails. Such insecurity may arise from temporary contracts, unpredictable working hours, irregular earnings or limited access to employment-related protections. However, no single feature automatically makes a job precarious; the broader working conditions and degree of security also matter.

It is equally important not to confuse precarious work with freelancing or flexible work in general. Independent work can offer autonomy, professional variety and freedom. Yet flexibility may also come at the cost of predictable income, stable employment or social protection. The distinction lies in the conditions under which the work is performed, not simply in whether the worker is employed or self-employed.

The way we work is changing, the professional relationships we establish are changing, and so are the words we use to describe them.

As the world of work evolves, language must evolve with it. And perhaps the most enduring reminder of this constant change comes from the Croatian poet Petar Preradović, who wrote: “Change alone is constant in this world.”

This article was originally published on the  Women in Adria portal on 23 October 2026. You can read it HERE.