The term 'gig' originated from musicians to refer to the performances they are paid to do. Gigs are typically short-term temporary jobs. Gig workers are usually paid not on contract but based on project done or sometimes by hourly work.
During the pandemic, the gig economy rose significantly. We saw an influx of gig workers since almost everyone was laid off from their jobs and had to find something to do remotely. Now, it has almost became the norm. The pros of being a gig worker is you control your time. You do not need to clock in or clock out. No need to leave the comfort of your own house. You have more flexibility as long as you meet the terms of the project.
But we can't forget about the cons as well. Gig workers are essentially both the employee and the employer. They provide their own material or equipment to be used for their jobs. They are the ones to take care of employee benefits like healthcare insurance. Legal expenses are also their burden. One of the biggest factors of being a gig worker is its instability. Unlike employees, you are not contracted for a long time. So if you fail to find a job for a certain amount of time, you will not be earning anything.
Is being a gig worker worth all the cons mentioned? or do you still find being a traditional employee more appealing?
Being a gig worker is very good if you are always busy because short-term works pay more money than long-term works, it's like the price of the apartment per square is higher when the apartment is small but it gets cheaper as the apartment is getting bigger, it's like buying a single pen vs in bulk.
If the job request comes hardly but goes easily, then it doesn't worth it.
By the way, one of the best gig is when you have your own team, find work for them, give work to them, pay them hourly but you manage to negotiate with the client about how much this particular task costs. I know some people who do this and they earn tons of money.