How Big is the Gig? The Extensive Margin, The Intensive Margin, and The Hidden Margin

This paper presents survey measures of informal "gig" work in the United States along both the extensive and intensive margins. Focusing on labor-intensive activities, the total amount of gig work performed by U.S. household heads in 2015 was equivalent to 3.77 million full-time jobs, of which 20 percent came from online work. We also find that this nonstandard work is partly hidden: over 15 percent of non-retired gig workers would get classified as not in the labor force, 5 percent would get classified as unemployed, and the full-time employment rate would increase significantly if informal hours are fully counted.