An increasing number of people work for several employers at once rather than holding a single permanent job.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
An increasing number of people work for several employers at once rather than holding a single permanent job.
Is this a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
A verdict is required — "both" only counts if you say which side outweighs the other. The analytical key is that this arrangement is experienced completely differently depending on whether it was chosen: the same working pattern is autonomy for a well-paid specialist and insecurity for someone who could not get a permanent contract. Deciding on that basis produces a much sharper answer than listing flexibility against instability.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then give the verdict: negative on balance, because the risks have shifted to the individual while the benefits are concentrated among those who least needed protection.
Body 1 — The genuine positives — autonomy, diversified income, and escape from a single employer's control.
Body 2 — Why it is negative overall — social protection is attached to employment, so unbundling the job unbundles sick pay, pensions and training; and most people did not choose it.
Conclusion — Negative as currently structured, though the structure rather than the pattern is what should change.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
328 words
An increasing number of people now work for several employers simultaneously rather than committing to a single permanent job, a pattern often described as the rise of the 'gig economy'. In my view, this shift is largely beneficial for workers, although it can create genuine difficulties for those seeking long-term financial stability.
To begin, holding multiple part-time or freelance positions grants workers considerable flexibility and diversifies their sources of income. To clarify, by engaging with several employers, individuals are not entirely dependent on a single company for their livelihood, which reduces the financial devastation that would otherwise follow a sudden layoff. Moreover, this arrangement allows workers to apply and refine skills across different industries, often making them more adaptable and employable in a rapidly changing labour market. In addition, this diversification can prove especially valuable during economic downturns, when relying on a single employer leaves workers acutely exposed. For instance, a graphic designer who works simultaneously for several small clients gains broader creative experience than one confined to a single employer's projects.
However, this trend also entails considerable uncertainty, particularly regarding job security and benefits. This is attributable to the fact that workers juggling multiple employers are frequently classified as freelancers or contractors, meaning they are typically excluded from benefits such as paid leave, health insurance, and pension contributions that permanent employees receive. Consequently, such workers often experience heightened financial anxiety, especially during periods when contracts are scarce, and they must independently manage taxation and retirement planning that employers would otherwise handle on their behalf. Furthermore, the unpredictability of income from multiple short-term contracts can also make it considerably harder for such workers to secure mortgages or loans. Moreover, without a single employer to advocate on their behalf, such workers often find themselves with little recourse when disputes over pay or working conditions arise.
To conclude, while working for multiple employers offers valuable flexibility and diversified income, I believe it remains a positive development overall only when governments extend basic protections, such as portable benefits, to workers who no longer hold a single permanent position.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a positive or negative development question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase the shift toward working for multiple employers and state that it is largely beneficial for workers despite creating stability challenges.
Body 1: Argue that holding several jobs diversifies income and builds adaptable, cross-industry skills, reducing dependence on any single employer.
Body 2: Argue that such workers lose job security and benefits like paid leave, insurance and pensions, creating financial anxiety and difficulty securing loans.
Conclusion: Restate that this trend is positive overall only if governments extend basic protections such as portable benefits to workers without one permanent job.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
diversifies
makes something more varied, spreading risk across different sources
holding multiple part-time or freelance positions grants workers considerable flexibility and diversifies their sources of income
livelihood
a means of earning a living
individuals are not entirely dependent on a single company for their livelihood
adaptable
able to adjust successfully to new conditions
this arrangement allows workers to apply and refine skills across different industries, often making them more adaptable
contractors
workers hired for a specific job or period rather than as permanent employees
workers juggling multiple employers are frequently classified as freelancers or contractors
pension contributions
payments made into a retirement savings fund
typically excluded from benefits such as paid leave, health insurance, and pension contributions
financial anxiety
persistent worry about money and financial stability
such workers often experience heightened financial anxiety, especially during periods when contracts are scarce
unpredictability
the quality of being impossible to reliably foresee
the unpredictability of income from multiple short-term contracts can also make it considerably harder for such workers to secure mortgages or loans
recourse
a source of help or a course of action available when facing a problem
such workers often find themselves with little recourse when disputes over pay or working conditions arise
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
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Common questions
Can I say a development is positive for some and negative for others?
Yes, and it is often the truest answer — but you must still say which dominates. The Band 8.5 model observes that experience splits by whether the arrangement was chosen, then delivers a verdict on the aggregate. Splitting without concluding is what caps this question type at Band 6.
How do I develop an idea rather than just stating it?
Ask "and therefore what?" twice. "No training is provided" becomes "employers only fund training they can recoup, so short engagements get none, so workers must fund their own reskilling exactly when income is least predictable." That chain is what examiners mean by extension.
Should I propose a solution in a positive/negative essay?
It is not required, but a sentence of it in the conclusion can sharpen your position — as here, where the remedy identifies what exactly is being criticised. Keep it brief; developing solutions at length answers a different question.
