Loneliness and stress among Chinese delivery gig workers: the moderating role of job identity.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the association between loneliness and perceived stress among delivery gig workers in urban China and tested whether job identity moderates this association, addressing limited attention to mental health in China's expanding gig economy.

METHODS

Using cross-sectional data collected June-August 2024 from 264 full-time delivery gig workers in Shanghai and Xi'an, ordinary least squares regression was conducted with eight demographic and work-related covariates, including hukou and city. Loneliness and job identity were mean-centered before creating the interaction term. Fisher's r-to-z subgroup comparisons further validated the moderation.

RESULTS

Loneliness was positively associated with perceived stress (β = 0.403, p < 0.001), and job identity was negatively associated with stress (β = -0.082, p < 0.05). A significant interaction (β = -0.127, p < 0.001) indicated that higher job identity attenuated the loneliness-stress association, with the association strongest among workers reporting lower job identity.

CONCLUSION

Higher job identity is associated with a weaker loneliness-stress association among delivery gig workers. Interventions strengthening job identity and work-based belonging may reduce stress in precarious gig work. Platforms, policymakers and practitioners should promote identity formation, algorithmic transparency and expanded social insurance coverage.