How fair is the gig economy? | The TechTank Podcast

Many people participate in jobs associated with the gig economy. This includes those who drive for ride-sharing services, deliver food, or otherwise get paid based on services or deliveries, or car rides, as opposed to a set salary or hourly basis.  

People take these jobs for all kinds of reasons. They need flexible work schedules or are in school and aren’t available for a traditional job. These positions provide extra cash and allows people to take care of young children or aging relatives. 

Yet others worry because such workers generally don’t qualify for healthcare benefits, disability insurance, or retirement matches from their companies. While the gig economy might seem like a positive evolution for our workforce, we need to make sure gig workers are treated fairly and are able to get healthcare insurance and disability benefits. 

A gig job might allow you more flexibility and more freedom … but at what cost? 

In today’s episode, Darrell West discusses the implications of the gig economy with guests Makada Henri Nicky and Aaron Klein.

You can listen to the episode and subscribe to the TechTank podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Acast.

TechTank is a biweekly podcast from Lawfare and The Brookings Institution exploring the most consequential technology issues of our time. From racial bias in algorithms to the future of work, TechTank takes big ideas and makes them accessible. In a series of roundtable discussions and interviews with technology experts and policymakers, moderators Dr. Nicol Turner Lee and Darrell West unpack tech policy debates and highlight new data, ideas, and policy solutions. Future episodes will explore the role of technology in election interference, disinformation campaigns, school reopening and broadband access, the digital divide and more. Sign up to receive the TechTank newsletter for more research and analysis from the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings.