Households with Children Emerge as Power Users of the Gig Economy

CHICAGO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While gig economy services are popular with American consumers overall, households with children have emerged as power users. This cohort reports using gig services on a weekly basis at an overall rate nearly 50% higher than households without children.

More telling, 23% of households with children spend $500 or more per month on ridesharing, food delivery and other gig services, a rate almost five times higher than households without children—just 5% of which spend that amount each month. These findings and more are available in TransUnion’s (NYSE: TRU) .

“Given how much families have to balance in their day-to-day, it’s no surprise that they have come to rely on the convenience of gig economy services,” said Cecilia Seiden, VP of TransUnion’s Communities and Marketplaces business. “TransUnion’s research provides some essential insights for how platforms can better engage this key segment.”

While households with children generally outpace those without children in their use of gig services, the difference was even more pronounced for emerging gig services, such as digital freelancing or in-person contract work (inclusive of home services and caregiving), where households with children were twice as likely to be weekly users.

In-person contracting work comprises services like babysitting, dog walking and furniture assembly. Digital freelancing services include app building, web design, presentation design, etc. The amount of consumers using digital freelancing services suggests that, while some may be engaging workers to help with their small business needs, the majority may be outsourcing parts of their day jobs.

Related, households with children were much more likely than households without children to cite the wide selection of providers (43% vs. 25%) and ease of finding the service they need (51% vs. 40%) as a reason for using these services. 

The report also found that households with children prioritized promotions and loyalty programs when selecting a service. Gig platforms can differentiate themselves by running attractive promotions that enhance consumer satisfaction and build long-term loyalty. 

Trust and safety

If loyalty programs and promotions are among the best ways to attract and retain customers, breaches of trust and safety are likely the fastest ways to lose them. While 83% of respondents said they were satisfied with the trust and safety features available, more than half said they would stop using a platform if they were scammed, felt physically threatened, or had their account compromised.

The report found nearly 4 out of 10 users are worried about encountering fraud or scams. When asked which steps platforms can take to reduce fraud and scams, 67% of users said verification of worker identity. Conducting background checks (58%) and utilizing biometrics (58%) to confirm that verified gig workers are the ones performing the services were also popular. 

“Users understand that a certain amount of friction is necessary to keep people safe,” said Seiden. “Platforms that employ identity-based fraud protections can much more effectively strike the right balance necessary for a seamless and safe customer experience.”

Learn more about TransUnion’s identity-based products, including and .

Read the full .

Research Methodology

This online survey of 1,051 adults was conducted in February 2025 by TransUnion in partnership with third-party research provider Toluna. Participants included current and past consumers of gig economy services. All U.S. regions are represented in the study survey responses. These research results are unweighted and statistically significant at a 95% confidence level within ±3 percentage points based on calculated error margin. Please note some chart percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding or multiple answers being accepted.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good^® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.