Effects of social job characteristics on gig workers’ well-being: The mediating role of off-the-job embeddedness

The gig economy, marked by flexible, short-term employment, has transformed the labor market—particularly in the hospitality sectors. This study examines the social job characteristics of gig work and these features’ effects on workers’ well-being and job embeddedness, focusing on food delivery workers in China. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 food delivery workers to discern the social job attributes of gig work and then empirically investigated the relationships between these attributes, off-the-job embeddedness, and workers’ well-being. Five social job characteristics were identified. Using an instrument developed through qualitative analysis, structural equation modeling results suggested that the relationships between these features and workers’ well-being varied across the dimensions of social job characteristics. Our findings extend traditional job characteristics models and offer practical insights for improving gig workers’ well-being. This study provides actionable recommendations for platform operators and policymakers to enhance the gig work experience.