Subject File THE GIG ECONOMY

• The gig economy, also known as the sharing or access economy, consists of a labor market that emphasizes short-term, temporary, flexible, part-time and freelance work engagements rather than permanent positions, often facilitated through digital platforms, representing a shift from traditional employment structures.

• People earn money from providing on-demand work, services, or goods. 

• Remote positions allow gig workers to live anywhere that has an internet connection.

• Positions are often filled by independent contractors. While offering flexibility and independence to workers, this type of of work removes job security and benefits like health insurance and paid leave. 

• Companies save costs by hiring freelancers without these benefits. Employers benefit by saving costs and hiring from a larger, globally accessible talent pool due to remote work options. 

Ex. 1: Study the vocabulary items below. 

• digital freelancing
• in demand
• digital gig platforms 
• earnings 
• entrepreneur 
• to freelance (verb)
• perks 

Ex. 2: Watch the video and complete the sentences with the items in Ex. 1. (KEY below)

Paid vacation, sick leave, life insurance and retirement plans are among the ... (1) that come with salaried jobs. Freelancers, though, will have to take responsibility for these themselves. 

... (2) come with drawbacks and may not provide a reliable living wage but they offer convenience and opportunities to find paid work fast. 

Freelancers may find it hard to find out how much money they actually make as ... (3) are based on location and often include business expenses and the digital platforms' cuts. 

Freelancing requires becoming an ... (4) because marketing, negotiating, administration, networking, and client acquisition are central to the gig economy. 

If a person has a skill that is ... (5), they can charge more for the services they deliver to their clients.

... (6) is a new development where freelancers collaborate with digital platforms such as Uber or Upwork. 

When people decide to ... (7), it is often because they enjoy the independence and flexibility these short-term and flexible work arrangements bring. 

Subject File ISSUES AT WORK

Introduction

The average person spends approximately 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime, which equates to roughly one-third of their life. On a weekly basis, employees typically spend between 35 and 44.5 hours in their main job, with full-time US employees averaging around 8 hours per weekday or 2,080 hours annually. 

Key Time-at-Work Statistics:

Lifetime Total: ~90,000 hours, or about 13 years and two months.

Weekly Average: 35–40+ hours, depending on industry and country.

Actual Productivity: While on the clock, studies suggest the average worker is truly productive for only about 2 hours and 53 minutes to 4 hours per day.

"Work About Work": Significant time is lost to meetings, checking emails, and unproductive tasks, sometimes averaging over 6 hours lost weekly due to distractions.

Commuting: In the UK, the average commute adds another 28–30 minutes per day. 

In the EU, 37.3% of employees worked between 40.0 and 44.5 hours per week in 2024, with some European countries seeing higher concentrations in the 35–39.5 hour range.

Subject file APPLYING for a JOB

Employability

Definition 

Employability is the combination of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that makes an individual attractive to employers and capable of securing, maintaining, and advancing in fulfilling work. 

Ex. 1: Identify the difference between hard and soft skills.

Ex. 2: Soft skills 

a) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nBgcoZBuiQ

b) List three soft skills you have and illustrate them with concrete examples from your work life.

Ex. 3: Documenting your hard skills in a CV.

Subject file CHANGES in the WORLD of WORK

The World of Work in History

Throughout human history, the world of work has seen profound changes. 

The Neolithic/Agricultural Revolution

• the most fundamental transition in early human history from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of agriculture and settled village life
• marked by the domestication of animals and plants
• began independently in multiple regions around 10,000 BCE
• led to permanent settlements, population growth, and the development of civilizations
• Neolithic centres: Old Europe (Southeast/Eastern Europe), Fertile Crescent (Levant, Mesopotamia, Anatolia)

The (1st) Industrial Revolution 

• between 1760 and 1840, beginning in Great Britain
• major shift from making goods by hand at home to machine manufacturing in factories
• based on new energy sources such as steam and coal to power machines, allowing for mass production, faster transportation, and rapid urbanization
• faster travel because of steam-powered engines in ships and locomotives

The Digital Revolution

• ongoing transformation of society driven by digital technologies, with artificial intelligence (AI) as a major catalyst
• AI integrates into everyday life, performing tasks that require human intelligence and revolutionizing industries through enhanced efficiency, automation, and data analysis
• Information Revolution: information moved from physical forms to digital forms and is fast and easily available, connecting billions of people in real time
• key drivers: Internet, computers and other devices, digital storage

The Future in the World of Work

BBC 6 Minute English: What is the future of work?