But low-wage workers have historically been hurt rather than helped by the trend away from employees.

second, that they involved a choice.

“Because contingent work can be unstable, or may afford fewer worker protections depending on a worker’s particular employment arrangement, it tends to lead to lower earnings, fewer benefits, and a greater reliance on public assistance than standard work.”8

But to earn those guaranteed wages, drivers needed to accept 90% of ride requests and be online 50 out of every 60 minutes worked.

“outsourcing wage penalty” ranges between 4% and 7% for janitors and between 8% and 24% for guards.

Workers in the gig economy were disproportionately poor.

times. The way that Uber routed jobs to drivers encouraged them to take every request, regardless of how profitable the ride would be.

“When you’re falling straight down the financial cliff face, you reach out to grab hold of anything available to stop your descent and there, just before you land in a homeless shelter or move in with your sister, is Uber.

More than half of the people who started working in the gig economy quit within a year.3