Unveiling the Impact of the Gig Economy on Sustainable Development

Ivona Huđek – Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

Karin Širec – Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

Abstract: This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of the gig economy within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on some environmental, economic, and social dimensions. It emphasizes the need for fair working conditions, income stability, and ethical considerations to foster an inclusive and sustainable gig economy benefiting workers and society. The gig economy offers environmental benefits through optimized resource utilization, and economic sustainability by generating in­come opportunities and supporting work-life balance. However, challenges in labor rights, social protection, and income stability persist. The study uti­lizes both global secondary data and primary data from a survey of 200 gig workers (freelancers) in Slovenia. Through analyzing gig economy data with­in the context of sustainable development, this study contributes to the on­going discourse on sustainable practices and inclusivity in the gig economy, urging policymakers and stakeholders to implement measures that promote fairness and sustainability, benefiting both workers and society as a whole.

9th International Scientific ERAZ Conference – ERAZ 2023 – Selected Papers: KNOWLEDGE BASED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, hybrid – online, virtually and in person, Prague, Czech Republic, June 1, 2023

ERAZ Selected Papers published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans – Belgrade, Serbia

ERAZ conference partners: Faculty of Logistics, University of Maribor, Maribor (Slovenia); University of National and World Economy – UNWE, Sofia (Bulgaria); Center for Political Research and Documentation (KEPET), Research Laboratory of the Department of Political Science of University of Crete (Greece); Institute of Public Finance – Zagreb (Croatia); Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Ohrid, University of St. Kliment Ohridski from Bitola (North Macedonia)

ERAZ Conference 2023 Selected Papers: ISBN 978-86-80194-73-8, ISSN 2683-5568, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ERAZ.S.P.2023

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission. 

Suggested citation

Huđek, I., & Širec, K. (2023). Unveiling the Impact of the Gig Economy on Sustainable Development. In V. Bevanda (Ed.), ERAZ Conference – Knowlegde Based Sustainable Development: Vol 9. Selected Papers (pp. 125-133). Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans. https://doi.org/10.31410/ERAZ.S.P.2023.125

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