Economics, demographics, technology, and other factors are changing the composition and availability of jobs. Newer forms of freelance, contingent work, also known as gigs, are gradually eroding traditional jobs. A venue that affords employment opportunities for a growing number of gig workers has become known as the platform economy. Those engaged in the platform economy already represent 10.1% of the U.S. workforce. This article explores the factors that give rise to these new work structures and examines the new opportunities they offer for employment and income. The social and economic consequences of the growth of these new work structures, intended and unintended, for workers, consumers, employers, and the public are discussed. The article concludes with a synthesis model of human resource development (HRD) research and the implications of the growth of these new types of work for HRD theory and practice.

经济，人口，技术和其他因素正在改变工作的组成和可用性。较新形式的自由职业，临时工作，也称为演出，正在逐渐侵蚀传统工作。一个为越来越多的零工提供就业机会的场所已被称为平台经济。从事平台经济的人已经占美国劳动力的10.1％。本文探讨了导致这些新工作结构的因素，并研究了它们为就业和收入提供的新机会。讨论了这些新的工作结构（有意和无意）的增长对工人，消费者，雇主和公众的社会和经济后果。本文以人力资源开发（HRD）研究的综合模型以及这些新类型工作的增长对HRD理论和实践的影响作为结束。