2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part E

The gig economy's explosive growth has changed the nature of employment relationships, giving workers more flexibility at the expense of job security and stability. This study looks at how precarious gig work affects workers' wellbeing with a particular emphasis on the ways that employment affects mental health outcomes. The study examines the function of perceived stress and job satisfaction as mediators between precarious employment and general well-being using survey data gathered from 91 gig workers.
Participants' demographic and occupational characteristics were profiled using descriptive statistics. The measurement scales internal consistency was validated by reliability analyses. Significantly negative relationships between precarious gig work and employees' well-being were found by correlation and regression analysis. Additionally, Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Self-determination theory showed that precariousness was linked to higher stress levels and lower job satisfaction, both of which lowered well-being scores. Additionally, the findings partially supported a serial mediation pathway, indicating that precariousness may lead to higher levels of stress, which in turn lower levels of job satisfaction and, ultimately, lower levels of general well-being.
These results demonstrate the intricate psychological costs associated with gig work, where instability and income insecurity outweigh the advantages of independence and flexibility. By providing empirical data on the effects of gig work on mental health, especially in developing nations. It emphasizes the necessity of organizational procedures and policy changes that reduce the detrimental effects of precarity, like expanding social protections, encouraging sustainable working conditions, and providing gig workers with mental health resources.