Why did the old gig economy stop growing?

Two reasons. First, the ceiling: a human can only sell 24 hours, and Staffing Industry Analysts measured $3.7 trillion in 2017 and $3.7 trillion in 2023, zero growth in 6 years, even with 154 to 435 million people gigging online. Second, the model: the platform owns the customer and takes its cut. Fiverr keeps a flat 20%, Airbnb 15.5%, Uber 25% and past 50% in some cities. When you sleep, your income sleeps.