Gig economy job queries surge among older generations
Almost five million Britons born in the two decades after the Second World War are employed in the gig economy, according to a survey by job listing site Indeed. The firm's analysis of job searches dating back to 2014 showed that 180 out of every million job searches conducted by baby boomers were for companies such as Uber and Deliveroo. This figure is 22% higher than the number of searches conducted by millennials for roles in the same category.
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Baby boomers have become a driving force behind the fledgling gig economy, with more people from that age group applying to work at companies like Uber, Deliveroo and Just Eat than any other demographic.

According to research by Indeed, one of the world’s biggest job sites, almost five million people in the UK now work in the gig economy and that figure is rising rapidly.

Analysis of job search patterns going back to 2014 shows that 180 out of every million searches done by baby boomers was for work with companies like ride-sharing service Uber and food delivery group Deliveroo.

That’s 22 per cent more than the number of searches conducted by millennial for jobs in that category.

Baby boomers are generally defined as those born in the two decades immediately after the Second World War. Millennials are broadly considered the demographic of people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s.

Mariano Mamertino, an economist at Indeed, said that the gig economy’s flexible nature particularly appeals to people who have lost their job and want to start earning quickly, as well as those who already have a job but are looking for an additional stream of income.

“Baby boomers who are now in or approaching retirement age have valuable skills and experience they can deploy in the workplace,” Mr Mamertino said, adding that the gig economy also allows them to keep earning “even if they don’t want to work in a conventional office setting”.

Separate research done by Oxford University and published last year found that employer demand for gig workers rose sharply in 2016.

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In fact, the UK clocked the fastest increase in the size of its gig economy of any major economy. Total levels of gig work in Britain rose by 14 per cent between May and September, compared to a 6 per cent increase over the same time period in the US.