🚨 Gig Worker Zone: Senior Employment and New Opportunities in Platform Labor

Today Korean Social News | 2025.07.02

📌 Retirees Also Become Gig Workers for Second Career…Middle-aged Job Fair Great Success

💬 Seoul City hosted the '2025 Middle-aged Job Fair' at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). 121 companies including Amazon Korea and Coupang joined to hire about 1,600 people. The gig worker zone and headhunting booths were very popular. Middle-aged people showed high interest in short-term and flexible jobs like interview supervisors and test proctors. Seoul City plans to hold job fairs in 5 areas of the city until September.

Summary

• A gig worker zone is a special hiring space for job seekers who want short-term and flexible work.
• It's getting attention as a new way to create jobs using middle-aged workers' professional skills.
• It plays an important role in providing second career opportunities with the spread of platform economy.

1️⃣ Definition

Gig Worker Zone means a special space at job fairs or hiring events where companies offering short-term, temporary, and flexible jobs gather together. Simply put, it's a place where you can find jobs that are not full-time regular positions but project-based or short-term contract work.

This is a new approach to support re-employment of job seekers who want different types of work, especially middle-aged workers, moving away from traditional full-time job hiring.

💡 Why is this important?

• It provides opportunities to continue economic activities using professional skills even after retirement.
• It meets the work needs of middle-aged workers (flexibility, autonomy) which are different from younger generations.
• For companies, it's cost-effective to use professional workers only when needed.
• It supports new employment types that come with the spread of platform economy.

2️⃣ Main Features and Operation Methods of Gig Worker Zone

📕 Composition and Features of Gig Worker Zone

• Gig worker zones offer various types of jobs. Main features include:

  • Short-term work requiring professional skills like interview supervisors, test proctors, and event management.
  • Project-based work that uses career experience like consulting, teaching, and mentoring.
  • Platform-based service jobs like delivery, designated driving, and cleaning.
  • Digital platform-based work like online tutoring, translation, and design.
  • Remote work that is not limited by time and location.

• They provide customized services considering middle-aged workers' characteristics. Main services include:

  • Education and counseling on how to use digital platforms.
  • Professional consulting support for resume writing and interview preparation.
  • Guidance on tax processing and social insurance registration.
  • Counseling on income levels that can be combined with pension benefits.
  • Information on health management and work stress management.

📕 Operation Methods and Support Systems

• They have systematic operation systems. Main operation methods include:

  • Understanding interests and career through online pre-registration.
  • Connecting suitable jobs through 1:1 matching services on-site.
  • Supporting quick hiring decisions through instant interviews and hiring counseling.
  • Monitoring adaptation process after employment through follow-up management.
  • Maintaining ongoing relationships through regular networking events.

• Various support programs are operated. Main support includes:

  • Education on smartphone and app usage to strengthen digital capabilities.
  • Considering support for basic equipment needed for gig worker activities (smartphones, delivery bags, etc.).
  • Strengthening worker protection through education on legal rights and duties.
  • Creating safe work environment through health checkups and safety education.
  • Promoting information sharing by providing communication channels with fellow gig workers.

Main Challenges in Operating Gig Worker Zone

1. Employment Stability: Need to solve problems of unstable income and lack of social security benefits
2. Digital Gap: Limited access due to middle-aged workers' lack of digital skills
3. Excessive Competition: Problems of fee reduction and overwork due to excessive competition within platforms
4. Legal Protection: Need to establish recognition of gig workers' worker status and protection measures
5. Quality Management: Need measures to maintain service quality and improve customer satisfaction

3️⃣ Gig Economy and Middle-aged Employment Status

✅ Growth and Status of Domestic Gig Economy

• The domestic gig economy market is growing rapidly. Main status includes:

  • As of 2024, domestic platform workers are estimated at about 2.2 million people.
  • Platform-based jobs are spreading in various fields like delivery, driving, care, and cleaning.
  • It grew more after COVID-19 due to increased demand for non-contact services.
  • Middle-aged workers' participation in platform labor increased by more than 40% compared to 2020.
  • Especially, the proportion of gig workers aged 50 and above exceeds 30% of the total.

• Changes in middle-aged employment policies are appearing. Main changes include:

  • The government is expanding the 'New Middle-aged Social Contribution Activity Support Project' to create jobs for middle-aged workers.
  • Seoul City is strengthening middle-aged re-employment education through '50+ Campus'.
  • Companies are also introducing 'Senior Intern System' to use senior professional workers.
  • Discussion is ongoing about transitioning from seniority-based wage system to job-based wage system.
  • Extension of retirement age and spread of flexible work systems are being promoted as policies.

✅ Overseas Cases and Implications

• Senior countries' senior gig worker support policies are worth referring to. Main cases include:

  • The US actively supports gig work participation of workers aged 50 and above through 'AARP'.
  • The UK invests in strengthening digital capabilities of middle-aged workers through '50+ Employment Support Program'.
  • Germany supports flexible work forms before and after retirement by introducing 'Time Account System'.
  • Japan creates jobs using elderly people's experience and skills through 'Silver Human Resources Center'.

• Successful senior gig worker platforms are emerging. Main features include:

  • 'YourEncore' in the US is a platform that connects retired scientists and engineers to corporate projects.
  • 'PensionBee' in the UK provides consulting opportunities for retirees to use their expertise.
  • 'Retired-Teacher' in Canada supports retired teachers to do online tutoring or education consulting.
  • These platforms are characterized by valuing seniors' expertise and providing flexible work conditions.

4️⃣ Related Term Explanations

🔎 Gig Economy

• Gig economy is an economic form where people work through short-term contracts or freelance methods.
• Gig Economy means economic activities where people earn income through short-term projects or temporary work rather than regular full-time employment relationships. 'Gig' originally came from a term meaning one-time performances in the music industry.
• Main characteristics of gig economy include: First, working through contract relationships rather than employment relationships. Second, flexible work possible without being limited by time and location. Third, finding work and making contracts through digital platforms. Fourth, providing services to various customers based on individual expertise and skills.
• Gig economy provides autonomy and flexibility to workers, but has disadvantages of lacking employment stability and social security benefits. For companies, they can efficiently use needed workers, but may have difficulties in talent retention and quality management.

🔎 Platform Labor

• Platform labor is a form of labor mediated through digital platforms.
• Platform labor means labor done by connecting customers and service providers through digital platforms (apps or websites). It's actively happening in various service fields like delivery, driving, cleaning, and care.
• Main characteristics of platform labor include: First, platforms play a mediating role between demand and supply. Second, work is distributed and managed by algorithms. Third, service quality is managed through real-time evaluation systems. Fourth, platform usage fees are paid through commission methods.
• Platform workers are often classified as individual business owners rather than workers legally, so they don't receive protection from labor laws in many cases. Accordingly, protection of platform workers' rights and expansion of social security have emerged as important policy issues, and discussions like enacting 'Platform Worker Protection Act' are actively progressing recently.

🔎 New Middle-aged

• New middle-aged is a new generational concept referring to the 50-64 age group.
• New middle-aged is a term the government uses to refer to the age group from 50 to 64 years old, a concept that emphasizes new generational characteristics different from existing 'middle-aged' or 'senior'. They are a workforce with high education levels and rich experience, including baby boom generation.
• Main characteristics of new middle-aged include: First, they have 20-30 years left even after retirement due to extended average lifespan. Second, they have high education levels and professional skills. Third, economically, their burden of children's education costs decreases but they need to prepare for old age. Fourth, they maintain healthy lives and have high motivation for social activities.
• The government is promoting various policies like 'New Middle-aged Social Contribution Activity Support Project' and operating '50+ Campus' to support social participation and economic activities of new middle-aged people. Also, they actively support using their experience and expertise for startups, establishing social enterprises, and re-employment, so gig worker zones can be understood as an extension of these policies.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I receive 4 major insurance benefits if I work as a gig worker?

A: Social security benefits for gig workers vary depending on employment type. Most gig workers are classified as individual business owners, so there are limitations in applying existing 4 major insurances (national pension, health insurance, employment insurance, industrial accident insurance). National pension and health insurance must be joined as regional subscribers, and employment insurance and industrial accident insurance are not applied in principle. However, the government is gradually expanding social insurance to protect platform workers. Starting from 2024, industrial accident insurance began to apply to some occupations like delivery riders and designated drivers, and employment insurance is also planned to expand gradually. Also, each platform company provides welfare benefits like accident insurance or medical expense support on their own. Before working as a gig worker, please check the insurance benefits of the relevant platform and your social insurance subscription status.

Q: What preparation is needed for middle-aged people to succeed as gig workers?

A: There are several key preparation items for successful gig worker activities of middle-aged people. First, strengthening digital capabilities is essential. It's important to develop basic digital utilization abilities like smartphone app usage, online payment, and digital map utilization. Second, you should clearly identify your professional field and find platforms that can utilize it. Organize your past work experience, certifications, and special skills. Third, health management is important. Gig work often consumes a lot of physical strength, so continuous health management is necessary. Fourth, develop tax management abilities. Since you work as an individual business owner, basic knowledge about income reporting and tax payment is needed. Fifth, maintain a continuous learning attitude. An attitude to adapt to new platforms and technological changes is important. Finally, it's necessary to maintain proper work-life balance to prevent burnout.