We’ve all been affected by the “gig economy” one way or another. This might be through the way we travel (Uber or Lyft), buy our groceries (Instacart) or hire any number of other services. Or, for an increasing number of workers in the United States and around the world, the gig economy may contribute to some or all of their income.

The “gig economy” started to be called by that name as early as 2009 by Tina Brown of The Daily Beast. It was meant to describe the idea that fewer people were taking full-time jobs, and more were taking short-term, task-related “gigs” and making a living from them. 

These gig employees have continued to proliferate, as Lyft, Airbnb, Taskrabbit, Fiverr and many other platforms have popped up to turn almost anything into a “gig.” In addition to this very short-term work, there are growing numbers of self-employed, contractors and freelancers who are turning down full-time work for the flexibility and lifestyle that being independent can provide. I refer to this contingent as the agile workforce.

Read the full article on Forbes