PRECARIOUS PROSPERITY: THE GIG ECONOMY’S ROLE IN EMPLOYMENT GROWTH AND WAGE INEQUALITY

Litigant employment has revolutionised employment structures through flexible job choices, but it triggers doubts about job stability and employment fairness, pay fluctuations, and long-term profession stability. Digital platforms like Uber and Fiverr alongside TaskRabbit have shown fast expansion of their gig-based employment options after the pandemic erupted. The system provides users with independent work choices but brings unrest to salaries and creates socio-economic inequality and management limitations. A review of knowledge examining gig work effects through studies conducted between 2023 summarises findings about employment and income patterns. Studies show that digital platforms help individuals access employment, yet their earnings show significant month-to-month variations between 30% and 50% different amounts. Women and members of minority races experience wider economic differences because they earn less compensation than others. Implementing algorithmic management tools reduces employee bargaining capabilities, strengthening the unstable nature of their work position. Extended effects from the gig economy create difficulties for economic movement, together with difficulties in creating financial stability. When workers lack proper labor protection through their employment platform, the inequality gap could increase instead of providing reliable financial security. The paper recommends three policy interventions that incorporate wage regulations, social security reforms, and fairer digital labor standards for implementation. Resolving these critical problems will create equal opportunities for suitable, stable employment instead of worsening social gaps. The study should analyse how artificial intelligence automation impacts worker structures within the gig economy and their effects on labor market structures.