Aug 30, 2021
How the Young Are Working
Diego Mendez, 23, a bass guitarist and multi-instrumentalist from Mexico, had a wistful look in his eyes as he gazed out over the Los Angeles skyline. “It’s an amazing privilege to live here,” he said. “It’s hard — you have to work every day to stay afloat — but it’s worth it to me.”
Diego is one of many millennials living in the greater Los Angeles area who is pursuing a creative career — in his case, music — but who also uses gig work to make ends meet. Interestingly enough, gig drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 only make up 12% of the delivery driver workforce. As inflation rises and COVID-19 continues to take its toll on the economy, many find gig work as a way to supplement their income.
“It gives me the flexibility to work when I want, which is nice. I could get a ‘traditional’ part-time job, but then I have to negotiate my schedule and when trying to break into this industry, that’s a big ask.”
Diego likes the freedom that delivering for Doordash and UberEats affords him, even if it’s not necessarily making him rich.
“It’s a start, you know? I make enough to pay the bills, but I’m always trying to make my music a viable career. That’s the ultimate goal.” Diego recently joined a band and is beginning to make money playing music with the shows they book. In a sense, it’s another form of the gig economy.
According to CNBC , 51% of millennials report having a side hustle for extra cash flow. These side hustles can vary from delivery driver to dog walker. The modern gig economy offers a lot of variety. Per The Work Force Institute, 18% of Gen Z workers already supplement their traditional jobs with gig work.
It’s this feast-and-famine mindset that conditions millennials and Gen Zs — especially the creative ones — to work amid the uncertainty of the modern economy. Their careers are often suited to the hustle-and-bustle, precarious nature of gig work. Artists, writers, musicians, and the like, know what it’s like to live between jobs and even when working, their salaries may not be enough to cover all basic expenses.
“I’m not delivering anyone’s food,” says Adrianne Reese, 23, a soon-to-be published author based in Orlando. “Not clowning on anyone who does that,” she says, “but it’s just not for me.”
Adrianne recently ran a successful KickStarter campaign to fund the publishing of her children’s book titled Persephone’s Freedom. She plans to make a whole series for children based on popular myths from different cultures.
“It just doesn’t work for my personality. I would rather struggle and try to make money through my writing any way I possibly can than do work I’m just not passionate about.”
Adrianne recently beat out her KickStarter funding goal and is on track to package and ship her children’s book within the next few months. For her, being creative means doubling down on the thing she loves most, even if it means getting creative like asking strangers online to fund her project. But just as working gig jobs enables Diego to do what he loves; Adrianne’s approach works best for her lifestyle.
In these rapidly changing times, creatives of all ages are looking for ways to fund their passions. For many, the answer is engaging in the gig economy and working a flexible schedule. For others, the answer is getting even more creative in order to live freely.
