A generation ago in the US, if you heard a friend talking about having a gig, chances were that your friend was a musician.

But the phrase has now evolved to describe different methods of short-term work. Self-employment, contract or freelance work, temporary jobs – just about anything that isn’t full-time – can be described as a gig.

The rise of the gig economy came along with the evolution of on-demand or “as-needed” hiring. Digital ordering, stock management, sales and expenses programs have made large teams of full-time staff a thing of the past, with some companies taking on temporary workers as and when they need them. As employers slice and *dice at their payrolls, some even outsource entire departments to third-party providers.

For a while, the gig trend was seen as a temporary response to the Great Recession. Casualties of downsizing took on “as-needed” jobs or tried to make a go of entrepreneurship because that’s all that was available. They hoped that “permanent” hiring would return as the overall economy recovered.

However, this did not happen on the scale they hoped.

This shift means that driving for ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft has become one of the most common new jobs in the US.

And surveys find that many gig-economy workers are happy with their new roles, with the hourly pay maybe even better than what they earned as “permanent” employees. They may enjoy work-hour flexibility that’s perfect for their family or education needs. And they may even find they’re good at being their own boss.

That said, however, self-employment isn’t for everyone. Some workers need their duties and hours to be *dictated; they’re not self-starters or can’t identify gig opportunities and follow them through.

Gigs are also not likely to provide traditional benefits such as *subsidized healthcare insurance, and aren’t likely to come with retirement plans, although this may not be an issue for those with a well-developed financial discipline.

But the message for a big sector of the workforce is that many who’ve transitioned to the gig economy – out of choice or out of desperation – often say they can’t imagine returning to a “real” job.

If they've positioned themselvs in an dustry or occupation that has a need for what they do,they often find they're making more money than they did as employees.A high demand ofhen means high pay.

Yes, the inconsistency of gigs can be scary .But,really, who dosen't like an adventure?