Is the Gig Economy Working?

The gig economy, which companies like TaskRabbit and Airbnb represent, has helped millions of Americans earn extra money. But as more and more people rely on “gigging” as their only source of income, society will need to address the question of whom the new economy is leaving behind. In an essay in The New Yorker, editor Nathan Heller explores the irony that many liberals and progressives champion the gig economy despite its doing away with the welfare benefits and worker protections liberals fought for throughout the 20th century. getAbstract recommends Heller’s thought-provoking look at the winners and losers of the gig economy to policy makers and anybody participating in the new economy.