16/09/2016 GMT

Its champions say it provides flexible hours and alternative incomes and gives people access to goods and services they could not otherwise afford. Its detractors say we're creating an army of low paid people in precarious work who are undercutting existing firms, by circumventing tax and regulation. So is the Gig Economy an opportunity or a threat? Tanya Beckett speaks to workers, entrepreneurs and industry experts in this fast-growing sector.