The Gig Economy Giant: Investigating the Socio-Economic Impact of Freelancing on Pakistan's Youth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i2.2374Keywords:
Gig Economy, Freelancing, Pakistan, Youth Employment, Digital Labor, Socio-Economic Impact, Human CapitalAbstract
The emergence of the gig economy has made youth employment opportunities available in developing countries. Pakistan has one of the highest segments of youth in the world and has become an important player in the global economy by consistently being one of the top freelance-exporting countries. This research paper will examine the socio-economic effects of freelancing in Pakistan based on income, skill gain, employment flexibility, social identity, gender, and other economic transformation indicators. This paper combines qualitative case studies with literature in order to conduct a multi-method research study. This study shows that the economic benefits of freelancing through Pakistan include foreign earnings, decreased unemployment, and the development of entrepreneurship skills. However, it has also led to unsteady income, digital inequality, and labor precariousness. The study also shows that the limited infrastructure, inadequate payment gateways, and restrictive government policies have prevented the freelancing sector from fully developing its economic potential in Pakistan. The study has therefore proposed a set of policies acknowledging existing frameworks of human capital theory, labor market segmentation, and the digital economy in order to address the gaps within the entrepreneurship education system in Pakistan and assist various digital economy partners to diversify and develop economic systems to help empower youth.
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