• Français
Future Skills Center logo
Français
Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research
Research

A Typology of Gig Workers in Canada: Towards a new model for understanding gig work through human, social, and economic capital

This paper offers a conceptual framework and preliminary typology of gig work and workers, based on a thorough review and synthesis of the existing research, designed to be tested “in the field” with real gig workers themselves.

Key Takeaways

1

The health care and social assistance sector employs the highest proportion (20.2 percent) of all gig workers who are women, and this sector has not yet, as of July 2020, recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

2

For taxpayers, the gig-economy business model leads to significant tax-income losses—both directly, through unpaid taxes, and indirectly, through taxpayer-funded subsidies for platform workers who may have to rely more heavily on the social security system, despite working full-time.

Woman filming a tutorial video on how to style clothes

Executive Summary

This paper offers a conceptual framework and preliminary typology of gig work and workers, based on a thorough review and synthesis of the existing research, designed to be tested “in the field” with real gig workers themselves. This worker-centred frame is critical to rounding out the existing dialogue—which predominantly focuses on the objective conditions of work, or structure—to critically examine the role of agency in the gig economy. The tensions between structure and agency in the gig economy need to be understood and articulated for policy to play a meaningful role in this dynamic and ever-evolving space.

We make a deliberate conceptual choice to focus our inquiry on digitally enabled types of gig work, and within that space, we focus on access (how and why do gig workers gain access and entry to the gig economy?), movement (how and why do gig workers move around and within the gig economy?), and capital (what are the types of currencies being exchanged, and why?).

Gig work is a form of work that has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, with some seeing it as a positive trend increasing worker power and offering flexibility and choice, and others seeing it as a form of exploitation as employers shirk responsibilities and erode workers’ rights. Part of the reason for competing views of gig work relates to the different definitions and forms of gig work that exist.

Related Research

A woman in a grey blazer and a man in a blue shirt sit on wooden tiered seating, focused on a digital tablet they are holding together in a modern, sunlit atrium.
Research

Pathways to Opportunity: Addressing Barriers to Labour Force Participation in a Changing World of Work

  • April 2026
  • Blueprint ADE
Pathways to Opportunity is an evidence-informed pilot that supports social assistance clients facing complex barriers to employment. This report describes the service model, its rationale, objectives, and key elements.
1 Related Reports
A diverse group of high school students sits around a table in a bright classroom, listening to a teacher who is perched on a desk near a whiteboard with math equations.
Research

Mapping Youth Pathways from Education to Employment: What We Know and How to Strengthen Supports Across Canada

  • April 2026
  • Blueprint ADE
This brief is part of a broader effort to strengthen Canada’s understanding of how best to support youth in their journey from school to work.
1 Related Reports
Two coworkers smiling and collaborating at a computer in an office.
Research

Supporting Inclusive Work-Integrated Learning as an Employer

  • April 2026
  • Signal49 Research (formerly The Conference Board of Canada)
Work-integrated learning and placements are critical bridges to employment. Employers who offer inclusive placements can access a wider talent pool, improve retention and performance, and foster innovation through diverse perspectives.
1 Related Reports
View all Research