Gig Economy Stocks Worth Buying Now As the Theme Gains Popularity

An updated edition of the Nov. 24, 2025 article.

The rise of the gig economy has transformed the traditional employment landscape. It gives workers greater freedom and flexibility by allowing them to decide their work hours, workload, and even their location. This flexibility makes it easier for individuals to manage different lifestyles and personal responsibilities. Unsurprisingly, the trend gained significant momentum during the pandemic and has continued to remain popular afterward, as both workers and employers increasingly look for flexible and innovative work arrangements.

The gig economy model encourages individuals to take up short-term, freelance, or contract-based jobs. Many companies are leveraging the benefits of this structure, ranging from ride-sharing platforms like Uber UBER and Lyft LYFT to food delivery providers such as DoorDash DASH. In addition, platforms like Upwork UPWK and Fiverr FVRR link skilled freelancers with businesses seeking short-term project support, enabling professionals to work on their own terms and schedules.

That said, this flexibility often comes at the expense of job stability and traditional benefits such as healthcare coverage and retirement plans. Still, the appeal of independence and being one’s own boss frequently outweighs these drawbacks. With an increasing emphasis on work-life balance, the gig economy continues to gain traction. The rapidly shifting landscape of the gig economy is clearly reflected in its robust growth outlook. According to Business Research Insights, the global gig market is projected to be worth $674.13 billion by 2026-end. The market is expected to be worth $2.52 trillion by 2035, supported by an impressive 15.8% compound annual growth rate over the 2026-2035 period.

The figures highlight the scale of opportunity unfolding across the gig economy and the companies powering it. For investors, this space offers an attractive combination of structural growth, rapid innovation and long-duration potential as flexible work becomes increasingly embedded in how consumers buy services and how businesses source labor. If you’re looking to capitalize on this trend, our Gig Economy screen can help you identify promising stocks in this arena. Those seeking potential solid returns may want to bet on companies like Angi ANGI, Amazon AMZN and Uber.

Ready to uncover more transformative thematic investment ideas? Explore 36 cutting-edge investment themes with Zacks Thematic Investing Screens and discover your next big opportunity.

Angi underscores the expanding reach of the gig economy by connecting homeowners with skilled service professionals. Its emphasis on flexible, on-demand labor has helped the company grow into one of the leading online marketplaces for home services in the United States.

Through its subsidiary, Handy Technologies, Angi further highlights how gig-based models have evolved beyond ride-sharing and delivery into essential home services. Handy operates in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, functioning as an online two-sided marketplace that connects consumers with independent service providers across categories such as residential cleaning, installation and maintenance.

Angi’s platform enables independent contractors — including electricians, plumbers, landscapers and handymen — to reach customers more efficiently while allowing consumers to find professionals more easily. By leveraging technology to streamline discovery, scheduling and service fulfillment, Angi supports flexible earning opportunities for gig workers while enhancing convenience for homeowners. The stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Amazon’s footprint extends well beyond traditional e-commerce, making it a meaningful contributor to the gig economy through flexible, short-term work opportunities across programs such as Amazon Flex, Delivery Service Partners (DSP), Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and its cloud unit, Amazon Web Services (“AWS”).

Launched in 2015, Amazon Flex enables independent drivers to deliver packages using their own vehicles, offering adaptable schedules and an additional income stream. Expanding on this model, Amazon introduced DSP in 2018, allowing entrepreneurs to build delivery businesses by hiring drivers, leasing vans and managing last-mile logistics at the local level. In the digital labor market, MTurk connects businesses with a global pool of freelancers who complete microtasks such as data labeling, content moderation and survey participation.

Meanwhile, AWS serves as a critical technology backbone for the broader gig economy, supporting the infrastructure behind major platforms such as Uber and DoorDash to deliver fast, reliable performance. By combining logistics, crowdsourcing and cloud computing, Amazon has positioned itself as a major force within the gig economy, improving operational efficiency while creating meaningful earning opportunities for gig workers. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Uber is another prominent example of a company effectively leveraging the gig economy model to support and scale its operations. The platform connects riders with drivers who operate as independent contractors, enabling flexible, on-demand earning opportunities.

Drivers using Uber can choose when and how often they work, offering a high degree of autonomy. This structure allows them to participate on either a part-time or full-time basis, with earnings linked to completed trips rather than a fixed hourly wage or salary. Driver income varies based on factors such as trip distance and duration, ride demand and surge pricing dynamics.

Uber’s continued platform innovation and broader income opportunities are helping reinforce the attractiveness of gig-based transportation work, keeping the company well-positioned within the modern, flexible workforce economy. With multiple driver-centric initiatives and ongoing product enhancements, Uber remains a major beneficiary of shifting labor preferences and on-demand mobility trends. Uber currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research