How significant is the 'gig economy' in NZ?

There is considerable interest in contracting, particularly given the perceived trend towards a ‘gig economy’ where people increasingly work on short-term contracts or freelance jobs, according to Scott Ussher, labour market statistics manager, Stats NZ. “However, the challenge in identifying how many people work as contractors is that the distinctions between employees, self-employed contractors, and other types of self-employed people are not always clear-cut.” Indeed, research by Stats NZ has found that nearly 144,000 New Zealanders work as self-employed contractors, which is just over 5% of all employed people. Stats NZ relied on people’s own view of their employment status instead of applying any legal criteria. The survey asked self-employed people with no employees whether they worked as contractors in their main job.