Like many handymen, Zach Laurie got into the trade out of necessity. It was 2008, the start of the recession. “I quit my job,” Laurie says. “There was an economic downturn. I spent a couple of years ...

In another sign of shifts in the gig economy, Ikea-owned TaskRabbit has trimmed prices as it seeks to find more clients for the household services offered by its network of independent contractors.

If you know your way around the toolbox, you’ve seen many platforms promising to turn your skills into a viable side hustle. Two of the most popular of these sites are Taskrabbit and Handy. Both ...