“A Qualitative Exploration of Job Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance in the Gig Economy”

Abstract: The recent entry of gig economy in India, particularly in metros, has reorganized work life, offering new flexibility but creating complex challenges for workers. In this qualitative research, the experience of metro city gig workers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, and their job satisfaction and work-life balance attitudes are investigated. Based on semi-structured interviews of 30 gig workers from various industries—Uber/Ola, Zomato/JustEat, freelance writing, and app-based services—the research presents the paradoxes of precarity and autonomy of gig work. The research attests to the manner in which gig work has been marketed as offering flexibility and income, but these are achieved at the cost of financial uncertainties, lack of social security, and blurring of personal-professional boundaries. The research provides the role of the urban context, with high living cost and rapid urban pace, in limiting gig workers from achieving work demands and personal well-being. In such an explanation, this research contributes to the literature on the socio-economic and cultural contours of gig work in Indian metros and demands policymaking intervention to enhance job satisfaction and enable sustainable work-life integration for this new workforce. Keywords: Gig economy, work-life balance, qualitative research, job satisfaction, metro cities, qualitative research, gig workers.