The digital labour market in Southeast Europe is growing again. In May 2026, the regional gig workforce reached 91,657 workers, an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous measurement. Growth was recorded across all observed countries, confirming that platform work remains an important source of income and labour market participation across the region.
Yet the numbers also reveal a more complex reality. While more people are joining digital labour platforms, fewer are securing work. Only 28.4% of workers were active during the measurement period, suggesting that competition is intensifying and that growth in worker numbers does not automatically translate into access to projects and earnings.
These are among the key findings of the latest edition of Gigmetar, Re:People’s regional monitoring instrument that tracks developments in platform work across Southeast Europe. Based on publicly available profiles on Upwork, Freelancer and Guru, Gigmetar maps the size, structure, activity, occupations, gender composition and requested hourly rates of digital workers throughout the region.
Romania remained the largest digital labour market, accounting for 25.7% of all observed gig workers, followed by Serbia with 22.4%. Together, the two countries represent almost half of the regional gig workforce. Bulgaria and Romania recorded the strongest growth, while Croatia, Montenegro and Hungary also experienced double-digit increases.
At the same time, the structure of the market continues to change. Upwork further strengthened its position as the dominant platform, accounting for 57.3% of the regional workforce. Freelancer continued to contract, while Guru remained largely stable. As platform rules, visibility mechanisms and fee structures increasingly shape opportunities for work, these shifts have important implications for workers throughout the region.
The findings also point to important differences between countries. Serbia and North Macedonia recorded the highest levels of worker activity, with around 37% of freelancers actively engaged in projects at the time of measurement. In contrast, activity levels remained significantly lower in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania, highlighting the growing gap between the number of registered workers and those actually securing work.
Occupational patterns reveal where the market is expanding. Administrative and data-entry services recorded the fastest growth, followed by sales and marketing and professional services. At the same time, these are among the occupations most exposed to automation, standardisation and price competition. Serbia continues to show particular strength in software development and creative services, while Romania and North Macedonia maintain some of the most diversified occupational structures in the region.
Requested hourly rates increased by 4.4% at the regional level, although growth remained uneven. Albania recorded the strongest increase, while growth in Serbia was almost stagnant. Gender disparities also persist. Women now account for 39.9% of the regional gig workforce, but their requested hourly rates remain significantly lower, reaching on average 83.3% of those requested by men.
These findings formed the backdrop for the online discussion Freelancers and AI: Who Draws the Short Straw?, organised by Re:People on 1 July 2026 with the support of the Olof Palme International Center.
The discussion brought together researchers working on platform work, digital labour markets, gender inequalities and artificial intelligence. Alongside the presentation of the latest Gigmetar results, participants discussed new research on Serbian freelancers and the growing role of AI in shaping digital work.
The full Gigmetar results are available on the Gigmetar website https://gigmetar.repeople.rs/ while the presentation on Serbian freelancers and AI is available upon request.
