A timely, national snapshot of the gig economy, drawn from 1,000+ gig and flexible workers. The Index reveals how income dependence, payout speed, and financial stability now shape where people choose to work.
The way people earn a living is changing, and independent work sits at the center of that shift. What was once a way to pick up extra cash has become a primary income source for millions, and the platforms powering that work are now central to workers' financial lives.
Produced by Branch and Stripe, the Gig Workforce Index dives into these changes and examines what independent workers actually experience: how they earn, what keeps them on a platform, and where the financial services still fall short.
Key Findings include:
1. Gig work is a primary income source—and a launchpad to entrepreneurship: 56% of gig workers rely on gig work for the majority of their household income, and nearly half see it as permanent or a stepping stone to their own business.
2. Speed is a competitive advantage: Gig work runs in real-time—over 60% of workers need to claim a job within two minutes, and they expect pay to move just as fast. Payout speed is the second-biggest reason workers stay with a platform, behind only higher pay.
And 89% say faster, more reliable payouts would make them more likely to choose one platform over another, and roughly 3 in 10 have left a platform over a payment issue.
3. Cash flow remains a challenge: 84% say platform-provided financial tools would be moderately to extremely valuable, while 68% couldn't cover—or weren't sure they could cover—a surprise $400 expense.
The platforms and marketplaces that treat the financial experience as core will be the ones that recruit, retain, and empower the modern workforce.
Download the full Index for the data behind the shift, and see how Branch + Stripe help platforms make fast, reliable, flexible payouts a competitive edge in 2026 and beyond.
The Gig Workforce Index is based on a survey of 1,027 U.S. gig and flexible workers conducted across delivery, rideshare, healthcare, home services, logistics, creative services, and more. Figures are rounded to the nearest percent.