Career adaptability in the context of horizontal skill mismatch: evidence from food delivery gig workers

Purpose The gig economy offers flexible, autonomous and short-term employment. It offers employment opportunities for workers interested in non-conventional work patterns. In several developing economies, physical gig jobs are one of the primary sources of income for many educated young people. It can lead to educational imbalances and hinder economic development. This paper aims to examine the alignment of food delivery gig workers’ academic education with their current work and analyse the consequences for career adaptability and workers’ well-being. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 325 respondents through a structured questionnaire. These respondents are food delivery workers registered with the Tamil Nadu Gig Workers Welfare Board in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. Findings This study analyses the relationship between horizontal skill mismatch, career adaptability and workers’ well-being. The study seeks to explain why educated young people enter gig jobs, driven by inadequate formal employment opportunities and short-term financial necessity. The findings reveal that focusing on career adaptability helps gig workers manage career progression and the underutilisation of skills. The study’s findings provide insights for policymakers and platform companies to develop strategies to reduce horizontal skill mismatch. Research limitations/implications The theoretical implications of the study are that career adaptability is an important psychosocial factor supporting educated gig workers’ coping with horizontal mismatch in their work lives and their work well-being in platform-based work. Originality/value This research paper addresses underexplored areas of skill mismatch, career adaptability and workers’ well-being among platform-based physical gig workers. Existing literature on the gig economy has focused on the precarity of gig workers. The theoretical contribution of this research lies in its emphasis on career adaptability as a psychosocial strategy for addressing skill mismatch among educated gig-economy workers. The result shows that career adaptability is positively related to well-being and horizontal mismatch. Another contribution of the study is the establishment of linkages between academic mismatch and career sustainability among educated gig-economy workers in the extant literature.