Every morning, in every city and village around the world, an invisible army goes to work. A plumber in Nairobi fixes a broken pipe, preventing a household from flooding. A hairdresser in New York opens the salon before dawn to prep for back-to-back clients. A tutor in New Delhi cycles to a student’s home for an early lesson. A mobile phone repair specialist in Manila deftly replaces a cracked screen. Individually, their efforts barely register on any economic radar. Collectively, however, these local service providers contribute trillions of dollars to the global economy – yet they remain largely unrecognized, under-supported, and underpaid. They are the invisible workforce powering our daily lives and the small business economy at large, without ever truly being seen.

Trillions in Value, Little Recognition

It’s easy to overlook the economic might of a lone electrician or a single child tutor. But taken together, the impact of these local service providers is staggering. Informal and independent workers make up about 61% of the world’s employed population – over two billion people. Many of these are plumbers, hairdressers, cleaners, handymen, tutors, therapists, and other service professionals operating as solo entrepreneurs or micro-businesses. Their work – much of it “off the books” or outside large corporations – accounts for more than $10 trillion per year in economic activity worldwide​. That is a trillion-dollar invisible economy rivaling the GDP of major nations.

Yet unlike employees of big companies or the tech darlings of the gig economy, these individuals rarely make headlines or government briefings. There’s no daily stock ticker tracking the neighborhood barber or the freelance car mechanic. Local service providers form the backbone of the small business economy, but their contributions are often missing from official statistics and public discourse. They pay taxes, raise productivity, and enable commerce (imagine trying to run an office if no one could fix the Wi-Fi or clean the space), but recognition is scant. Terms like “essential workers” or “gig workers” trend in media, but the millions of independent carpenters, beauticians, or tutors working quietly in communities remain nameless – invisible by default.

This lack of recognition isn’t just cultural; it’s baked into how economies are structured. Many of these service providers operate informally or independently, so their earnings and challenges fly under the radar of policymakers. When we talk about the “future of work,” conversations gravitate to AI, remote offices, and corporate trends, leaving out the very real future of work for the person who fixes your fridge or cuts your hair. The result is a gaping blind spot: a massive workforce powering the global economy that’s all but invisible in the eyes of modern institutions.

The Unsung Backbone of Daily Life

Behind every functioning community is an army of unsung local workers. Consider what happens when their services disappear. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, many countries halted personal services – salons, tailoring, tutoring – and life quickly felt untenable. We realized how much we rely on this “invisible workforce” to keep daily life comfortable and society running. From repairing leaking roofs to caring for children, these providers deliver the kinds of services that big corporations often can’t or won’t.

Take the example of Armenia, a country proud of its booming tech sector yet grappling with an old-fashioned problem: finding a reliable local service professional when you need one. Last year, an Armenian entrepreneur recounts trying to locate a qualified car repair specialist in the capital. “Google turned up nothing useful,” he recalls. Desperate, he resorted to phoning friends and posting requests in Facebook groups, which yielded a dozen phone numbers – but no further info​ (turn.am). Who were these mechanics? Were they any good? Were they even in the right city? There was no way to tell. This experience laid bare what thousands face daily: even in a connected age, local service providers are hard to find and vet online, effectively rendering them invisible in the digital realm. As the Armenian entrepreneur put it, there was “a big gap in the services sector” – surprising in such a tech-savvy country​.

His realization speaks to a global truth. Whether in Yerevan or New York, searching for a trusted local plumber or tutor often feels like hunting for a needle in a haystack. These professionals mostly get clients through word-of-mouth, neighborhood bulletin boards, or maybe a Yelp review if they’re lucky. Unlike restaurants or hotels, which benefit from dedicated apps and review platforms, a huge portion of service providers have minimal digital footprint. Many don’t have websites; some aren’t even on Google Maps. They operate in a twilight zone of discoverability – vital to everyone who knows them, invisible to everyone who doesn’t.

This dynamic not only makes life harder for consumers in need of services; it also keeps the workers themselves in the shadows. A tutor in Lagos or a mobile beautician in Jakarta might be fully booked with local clients, yet struggle to expand their business or adapt when circumstances change, simply because no broader platform exists to showcase their work. The skills and services they offer remain a local secret. As a result, even though this labor force is ubiquitous around the world, its social status and bargaining power remain low. A plumber may save you from a winter disaster by fixing your heating, but it’s the kind of profession that rarely gets public accolades or policy support. In a very real sense, local service providers are treated as disposable cogs – there when we need them, forgotten when we don’t.

The Gig Economy’s Blind Spot: Local Service Providers

Over the past decade, digital platforms have revolutionized how we hail taxis, order food, or book travel accommodations. The gig economy has promised flexibility and new income streams, and indeed ride-share drivers and food couriers have become emblematic of the gig workforce. But when it comes to the electrician who will rewire your living room or the tailor who alters your clothes, the platform revolution has largely passed them by. Digital platforms for freelancers and gig workers – from Uber to Upwork – tend to focus on either geographically mobile services (rides, deliveries) or remote digital work (graphic design, coding). Local, skilled trades and personal services have been a blind spot in the platform economy.

Why is it that in 2025 you can tap an app to get a stranger to drive you across town, but not necessarily to get a handyman at your door? Part of the reason is logistical complexity – local services are diverse and often require matching specific needs with specific skills, which is harder to standardize than, say, a taxi ride. Another reason is scale – big tech firms haven’t fully cracked how to monetize these services at scale without running into quality control issues. There have been attempts: TaskRabbit in the U.S. and parts of Europe matches users with people who can assemble furniture or mount a TV. Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap) in India has built a network of beauticians, cleaners, and handymen available on-demand in major cities. These platforms show it’s possible to bring plumbers, painters, and tutors into the digital marketplace. But on a global level, such efforts are fragmented and often limited to major urban centers. Vast swathes of the invisible workforce remain offline, unaggregated, and unsupported by any app.

Even where platforms exist, many independent service providers feel ambivalent about them. Traditional gig platforms typically charge hefty commissions or fees, squeezing the provider’s already thin margins. Providers on some apps report race-to-the-bottom pricing and algorithmic rankings that favor only a lucky few. “I got more clients, but I actually earned less per job,” is a common refrain from workers who joined big gig platforms. In India, for example, thousands of beauticians and spa therapists organized protests against Urban Company in 2021, alleging high commissions and unfair practices by the platform. The very tools that were meant to empower them digitally ended up replicating the same inequalities – or creating new ones – in the online marketplace.

The net effect is that the majority of local service workers still rely on old-fashioned means to find work, even as other sectors charge ahead with digital innovation. There is a glaring need for platforms and ecosystems that truly serve this invisible workforce – on their terms, not just for profit. “We have an app for everything, except the things that actually keep our homes and communities running,” a Mumbai resident quipped when struggling to find a reliable electrician online.

Underpaid, Unprotected, and Undervalued

The invisibility of these workers isn’t just about whether we see them online; it’s also about how society values their labor. By many measures, local service providers are underpaid and economically vulnerable relative to their importance. For instance, in the United States, hairdressers earned a median salary of only about $35,000 in 2023, well below the national median for full-time workers. And that’s in a wealthy, developed economy. In many developing countries, skilled tradespeople and service workers often earn subsistence incomes. A tailor in Bangladesh, a motorbike mechanic in Kenya, or a home cleaner in Brazil might work long, taxing hours yet struggle to earn a livelihood that keeps them above the poverty line.

One reason for low pay is that these jobs have traditionally been seen as low-status or “unskilled” (a misnomer, as anyone who’s tried and failed to fix a clogged pipe can attest to the skill involved). Social norms play a role: society tends to reward those who work behind computers far more than those who work with their hands, even if the latter’s contributions are just as critical. Another reason is lack of collective bargaining or representation. Unlike factory workers or teachers, independent service providers are often one-man or one-woman businesses. They have no unions, no HR departments, and no real voice to demand better pay or conditions. If a platform or a client squeezes their fee, they have little recourse and risk losing the job entirely if they push back.

Moreover, these workers typically operate outside traditional employment protections. Benefits like health insurance, paid leave, or retirement plans are luxuries beyond reach. A self-employed tutor or freelance plumber generally gets no sick days and no employer-sponsored insurance – if they don’t work, they don’t earn. During crises such as the pandemic or a local recession, they’re often left with no safety net. Government relief programs sometimes overlook them, focusing on registered businesses or formal employees. It’s telling that even in advanced economies, a large portion of independent contractors and gig workers report having no access to employer-provided benefits or social security. Globally, informal and independent workers make up the bulk of those without any social protection.

All of this adds up to a paradox: the people who keep our everyday lives functioning smoothly often can’t afford a secure living for themselves. We entrust them with our homes, our possessions, our well-being – and in return, we pay them a fee but offer little else in terms of stability or respect. It’s an imbalance that has persisted for decades: economic output flows up, while risk flows down to those at the bottom of the chain. And because this workforce is invisible in discourse, the inequality goes largely unaddressed.

Empowering the Invisible: New Platforms and Initiatives

The tide is slowly but unmistakably turning. Recognizing both the plight and the potential of the invisible workforce, innovators around the world are stepping up to build platforms and initiatives that empower local service providers rather than exploit them.

One such effort began in an unexpected place: Armenia. In 2024, after a frustrating personal experience trying to find a reliable car repair specialist, an Armenian entrepreneur and his wife decided to create the very solution they had searched for. The result was Turn.am, a unified digital platform designed to connect service providers with customers — a one-stop hub for everything from home renovation and beauty treatments to legal consulting and tutoring.

Just six months after launch, Turn.am had already onboarded over 400 providers offering more than 700 services. Today, that number has grown dramatically: over 1,700 different services are now listed across Armenia, demonstrating just how much untapped demand existed for a centralized digital marketplace. The platform positions itself not merely as a directory but as a trusted bridge — empowering independent professionals to gain visibility, credibility, and growth opportunities without paying hefty fees or commissions.

Unlike many gig economy platforms that act as intermediaries taking a share of every transaction, Turn.am charges zero commission to service providers. It allows professionals to create detailed profiles, showcase their work through photos, and track engagement through built-in analytics — essentially giving solo entrepreneurs the kind of digital tools previously reserved for larger businesses. In short, Turn.am is leveling the playing field, making sure the invisible workforce can finally be found, trusted, and fairly valued.

Building on the success of Turn.am, the team is now preparing to take the model global. In 2025, they are launching ServiceOrca.com, a new platform designed to empower service providers not just in Armenia, but worldwide. Currently in pre-launch, ServiceOrca aims to bring the same zero-commission, provider-first philosophy to international markets, offering freelancers, artisans, and small service businesses in cities around the world a chance to be seen, chosen, and celebrated.

The efforts emerging in Armenia are part of a broader global trend. Across Kenya, startups are building digital directories for "jua kali" artisans — the backbone of informal skilled labor — enabling them to connect with clients via mobile apps. In Latin America, where hiring a handyman or cleaner often still happens through word-of-mouth, localized apps are beginning to formalize service access and even offer workers microloans or insurance. Even tech giants are waking up: Google has ramped up initiatives to get small businesses online, while WhatsApp Business has quietly become a critical platform for micro-entrepreneurs across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The future of work for local service providers could very well depend on how these platforms are designed. Stakeholders agree: if the next wave of service marketplaces focuses solely on extracting commissions and racing to the bottom on pricing, it will replicate the same inequalities that have plagued the offline world. But if platforms are built to empower providers — to give them visibility, autonomy, and fair rewards — the results could be transformative. The model pioneered by Turn.am, and soon ServiceOrca.com, offers a hopeful blueprint.

Beyond digital platforms, there are grassroots movements and cooperatives forming to support service providers. Trade associations for barbers, electricians, and home cleaners are helping workers organize for better terms. Nonprofits are stepping in with microloans, skills training, and digital literacy programs — recognizing that a modest investment in a single local professional can trigger ripple effects throughout an entire community. Every new client earned, every dollar of income increased, strengthens not just one worker, but the neighborhoods they serve.

In a world increasingly dominated by giant tech platforms and remote work trends, these local heroes remain irreplaceable — and finally, thanks to new initiatives, they are beginning to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

What Will It Take? – Systemic Changes for the Invisible Workforce

As the world increasingly acknowledges this invisible workforce, the big question is: what systemic changes or innovations are needed to truly empower these workers? Solving such a widespread issue requires action on multiple fronts. Here are a few key changes experts and advocates suggest to ensure local service providers no longer remain invisible and undervalued:

  • Digital Infrastructure for Local Services: Build and support more platforms that aggregate local service providers in an area, provide them with online profiles, and help customers find and trust them. This includes ensuring these platforms are low-cost or free for the workers and accessible in multiple languages and on mobile devices. The goal is to make discovering a local electrician as easy as booking a rideshare, everywhere in the world.

  • Fair Gig Economy Practices: As new marketplaces emerge for these services, embed fairness into the model from the start. That means reasonable commission caps, transparent algorithms, and possibly worker ownership stakes or profit-sharing. The invisible workforce should not leap from offline obscurity to online exploitation. Instead, digital platforms should increase their earnings and stability, not diminish them.

  • Financial and Social Safety Nets: Governments and institutions need to adapt policies to cover independent workers. This could include portable benefits (insurance, retirement plans, paid leave that follow the worker across jobs), easier access to microcredit or grants for solo entrepreneurs, and inclusion of informal workers in social security programs. When a pandemic or economic downturn hits, a freelance handyman or makeup artist shouldn’t be left with nothing – there should be safety nets that recognize non-traditional employment.

  • Training and Certification: To raise both the quality and perception of these professions, there should be more opportunities for skills training, certification, and career development for service providers. Local governments, trade schools, or industry groups could offer short courses for electricians to learn solar panel installation, or for cooks to learn new cuisines, for example. Certification can help workers justify higher rates and gain trust from customers, moving them up the value chain beyond bare-subsistence odd jobs.

  • Public Awareness and Respect: Society at large needs a mindset shift to recognize and respect these “invisible” workers. This can start early, by including the importance of trades and services in educational curricula and media. It also involves data collection and research – if national statistics agencies put out regular reports on the contributions of solo service businesses, it shines a light on their importance. When people realize that “small” services actually constitute a huge part of the small business economy and community well-being, public support for these workers (in terms of tipping norms, willingness to pay fair prices, and political voice) tends to grow.

  • Collaboration and Networks: Encourage the formation of cooperatives or networks among local service providers. United, they can share marketing costs, refer business to each other, or collectively bargain for group discounts on supplies and healthcare. Even informal WhatsApp or Facebook groups where providers share advice and opportunities can alleviate the isolation of working alone. The more these individuals feel part of a community or movement, the less “invisible” they become, both to each other and to society.

Implementing these changes is no small task – it requires coordination between tech companies, governments, civil society, and the workers themselves. But the payoff is immense. By empowering local service providers, we don’t just help those individuals; we fortify the overall economy and social fabric. Imagine more people able to rely on decent incomes from their skills, more consumers able to easily find trustworthy help, and communities that take pride in their local experts. It’s a future where the “invisible” workforce steps into the light as a recognized pillar of the future of work.

Conclusion: From Invisible to Indispensable

For far too long, the local service providers who make our world livable have been treated as afterthoughts in the grand narrative of the global economy. They labored in the shadows while attention showered on big industries and shiny tech innovations. But the truth is, no economy can function without its invisible workforce. The plumber, the hairdresser, the tutor, the therapist – they are as critical to the 21st-century economy as the software engineer or the investment banker, even if their contributions are measured in leaky faucets fixed and minds nurtured rather than lines of code or stock valuations.

Recognizing this reality is the first step toward change. The next steps are being charted by pioneering platforms like ServiceOrca by grassroots movements, and hopefully by forward-thinking policies. The invisible workforce is starting to demand to be seen – and in doing so, they are asserting that the future of work must include all workers, not just those in offices or on apps.

In the end, bringing this workforce out of the shadows isn’t just about economic fairness; it’s about rethinking what and who we value in society. When the local service providers around us are given the support, respect, and compensation they deserve, the entire community thrives. Our neighborhoods become more resilient, our economies more inclusive, and our everyday lives richer and less stressful.

The invisible workforce has always been indispensable. It’s high time we make sure they’re invisible no longer – and build a global economy that acknowledges and rewards the millions of service providers who quietly keep it running every single day.