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How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

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Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#3
On the one hand my first impulse is to ask “What’s the supply-side version of caveat emptor?” but if companies like Uber are hiding the true pay of their IRS-1099 “gig workers” then I have to wonder if they aren’t running afoul of disclosure or fair labor laws as well.

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#5
post #2

Disheartening. Interesting article. We need to get healthcare uncoupled from jobs.

The gig economy is already bad enough for workers but in the US it's even worse due to the health care situation. We should get rid of any advantages corporations have over individuals like health insurance.

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#6
> On average, it estimated they were making $10.75 per hour in the Houston area, $8.77 per hour in Detroit, and $13.17 in Denver, which was slightly less than Walmart’s average full-time hourly rate in 2016

I'm not saying this is ok, but I think there are also more intangible things that come into play here. Working for Uber gives you the freedom to work when you want. You don't have to call in sick or find someone to take your shift. You just don't get in the car that day.

Which really, I think, is the allure of a lot of gig jobs: the ability to be your own boss (kinda).

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#7
post #2

Disheartening. Interesting article. We need to get healthcare uncoupled from jobs.

We need to stop importing children and adults until we make sure all current citizens have jobs. Not everyone has cancer nor needs healthcare. The truly broke get it for free. Only thing not covered is cosmetic dentistry like non silver fillings and partial dentures and brand name medication.

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#8
The gig economy is literally a product of a lack of economic security. As I've mentioned before, if suddenly people had enough money or assistance that they didn't need to gig to make ends meet, businesses like Uber and Lyft would have no more "independent contractors". They'd probably fold or have to raise prices above that of Taxis.

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#9
Reminds me of "The Market Fairy Will Not Solve the Problems of Uber and Lyft":

> Here is the thing about Uber and Lyft (and much of the “sharing economy”).

> They don’t pay the cost of their capital.

> The wages they pay to their drivers are less than the depreciation of the cars and the expense of keeping the drivers fed, housed, and healthy. They pay less than minimum wage in most markets, and, in most markets, that is not enough to pay the costs of a car plus a human.

http://www.ianwelsh.net/the-market-fairy-will-not-solve-the-...?

Like with the electric scooter companies. You're not paying for the scooter, you can buy one of those. You're paying for the service of being able to leave your scooter in public somewhere and have someone else collect and recharge it.

Re: How the gig economy is making life harder for North American workers

#10
post #2

Disheartening. Interesting article. We need to get healthcare uncoupled from jobs.

We need to stop importing children and adults until we make sure all current citizens have jobs. Not everyone has cancer nor needs healthcare. The truly broke get it for free. Only thing not covered is cosmetic dentistry like non silver fillings and partial dentures and brand name medication.

I hear immigration come up a lot when healthcare does, but most homeless in the US are US citizens suffering from mental disorders. From the numbers I've read, immigrants tend to be the most economically productive compared to US citizens of the same economic class.

That said, I think it'd be cheaper to provide preventative care for free than it would be to cover ER visits for the same number of uninsured people. Tends to be cheaper and a bit more humane.

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