Alberta gig workers push for recognition as unstable incomes, burnout take toll

A new study suggests gig workers in Alberta are earning $15,000 to $25,000 less per year than people in traditional jobs — a growing warning sign for a sector that now includes roughly seven per cent of Canada’s workforce.

The findings highlight what many gig workers say they already know first hand: the flexibility of the work often comes at the cost of stability, benefits and long-term financial security.

View image in full screen A food delivery worker rides an electric bike in downtown Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Christina Owczarek told Global News she lives that reality every day. She juggles roles as a small business owner, ski coach, pet-sitter and dance instructor — part of an under-recognized segment of the labour force that often works multiple jobs just to get by.

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“I’d just like to be comfortable. I’d like to be able to take weekends off. Or a day off a week,” she said.

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A 2023 study shows delivery services account for more than one-quarter of gig jobs in Canada, followed by ridesharing and professional services.

For Owczarek, that can mean doing three or four different jobs in a single day — sometimes for less than minimum wage once costs are factored in.

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After travel, taxes and time, “you’re making at best minimum wage, sometimes less,” she said.

The latest research also found many gig workers feel left behind compared to those with regular employment. Some app-based workers report earning only a few dollars for hours spent waiting on gigs.

“One person we spoke to said I could be on that app for four hours and only make $15,” said Michelle James, director of policy at Vibrant Communities Calgary. “And when you’re doing that out of necessity, that really does speak to your financial security.”

Owczarek, diagnosed with burnout in 2022, says a car accident later that year exposed just how vulnerable gig workers can be without benefits or sick leave.

“I couldn’t rest,” she said. “And when you can’t rest because you don’t have a paycheque, you can’t take stress leave. You can’t recover.”

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Priska Ouko, who has a background in finance, turned to cleaning after struggling to find stable work in her field. Last year, she was living in a shelter — an experience that underscored the barriers gig workers face, particularly when it comes to proving stable income.

“It’s not like you can’t afford it — you can,” she said. “But once they do that check, they’re like, ‘No, your income is not stable.’ Those are the barriers that we are facing.”

Advocates warn the long-term implications are serious, and without changes, today’s gig workers could become tomorrow’s retirees without pensions or adequate savings.

“In 10 to 20 years you’ll have a group of retirees who don’t have pension, or can’t afford retirement,” Ouko said.

Both women say the gig economy needs more recognition — and more support.

“We are many. We’re in the thousands,” Owczarek said. “We can do this and make some meaningful impact and secure our future.”

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