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Let’s End Precarity, Not Underwrite It
The gig economy isn’t inevitable, it's a choice, and maybe a bad one
In Gig Workers Are Here to Stay. It’s Time to Give Them Benefits., Alex Rosenblat falls flat on an appeal to giving employment benefits to gig workers. She mentions but soft-pedals the gig economy companies sidestepping tax obligations and avoiding paying benefits, but she doesn’t state that it is our choice to determine if the current gig economy set up is legal or not, not just the gig employers and the gig workers tied together in a vast power imbalance. Remember, California has passed AB 5, which basically dismantles much of the gig economy. Her thoughts:
During this recession, as in previous ones, firms that are struggling themselves will likely increase their reliance on subcontracted and gig labor rather than hiring full-time employees. Today’s gig economy sprung from the last recession, and these gig work platforms — which offered a job to anyone who wanted one — emerged as a lifeline for many facing financial instability. This trend is likely to be even more pronounced as the current crisis is pushing many people to search specifically for non-traditional forms of employment that can be done from home.
Ultimately, gig work exists because companies, workers, and customers all benefit from it. In the past…
