Gig Economy #9 | Deepnews

Gender and Gig Economy (#1) Gig economy in Japan (#5)	Airbnb lays off 1,900 workers (#4) California sues Uber and Lyft (#13)

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Gender and the Gig Economy: A qualitative study of Gig platforms for women workers	Observer Research Foundation
Despite the unprecedented growth of India’s gig economy and possible benefits to women service providers, little attention has been paid to the hurdles faced by women in pursuing gig work. Editor’s Note:

The last recession gave us the gig economy. COVID-19 could help reimagine it	Fast Company
TaskRabbit founder Leah Solivan argues that we need to rethink the freelance economy moving forward by focusing on what independent workers need. Editor’s Note: In recent months, there has been a lot of debate related to the future of the gig economy. Here TaskRabbit founder Leah Solivan argues that the ongoing COVID crisis could boost the prospects for freelancers even further.

UK gig economy workers exposed to virus, union warns	The Guardian
Workers in the gig economy are being exposed to coronavirus infection because the government is failing to enforce EU safety at work regulations, a union has said. Editor’s Note:

Airbnb laying off 1,900 workers, 25% of its workforce, amid travel slump	CBS News
Airbnb is cutting 1,900 employees, or about 25% of its workforce, as it faces “hard truths” including uncertainty over when global travel will resume amid the coronavirus pandemic, CEO Brian Chesky said in a memo to employees. He added that the company’s 2020 revenue is likely to be less than half of what it booked last year. Editor’s Note:

The Gig Economy Reaches Japan	Nippon
In the “gig economy,” workers accept temporary and one-off jobs on an ad-hoc basis via the Internet. This style of working is catching on in the West, and is slowly gaining traction in Japan. Editor’s Note:

Gig economy companies like Airbnb are signaling distress	CNN
Since the last global recession, the gig economy has transformed life around the world, shaking up transportation in cities, food delivery and even the way people think about housework. Editor’s Note:

What happens to gig workers when an Assembly bill meets the coronavirus?	ABA Journal
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on the underbelly of the United States economy. With many Americans following orders to stay at home, gig workers have moved into the forefront of the marketplace. Delivery workers, truck drivers and other independent contractors are still going out into the world to work and to keep the world working. Editor’s Note:

ANALYSIS: Gig Worker Battles Poised to Outlast Pandemic	Bloomberg Law
Covid-19 and the economic downturn have forced many gig workers to take on risky, difficult work, and has forced many others out of work altogether. But the crisis also has positioned gig workers — those currently working and those who are not — to win greater employment protections and benefits in the future. Editor’s Note: Gig workers and companies they work for have been in a struggle over their conditions and responsibilities for years. Here Bloomberg Law writers analyse the latest legislative developments and their potential impact.

Waiting on a Lifeline: Delays in Aid for Freelance Musicians Highlight Systemic Inequalities	Billboard
For self-employed artists whose incomes have been wiped out by the shutdown, trying to access unemployment insurance and other aid is distressing. Editor’s Note:

INSIGHT: Gig Workers Can Qualify for CARES ACT Unemployment Aid	Bloomberg Law
The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on the underbelly of the U.S. economy. With many Americans following orders to stay at home, gig workers like delivery workers, truck drivers, and other independent contractors are still going out into the world to work and to keep the world working. Editor’s Note:

The results are in for the sharing economy. They are ugly	New York Times
Lyft, Uber and Airbnb depend on travel, vacations and gatherings. That’s a problem when much of the world is staying home. Editor’s Note:

Uber Sees Rides Recovering From Coronavirus Lows, Banks on Food Delivery	Reuters
Uber Technologies Inc’s (UBER.N) ride service bookings slowly recovered in recent weeks as the company expects a coronavirus-related slowdown will delay the goal of becoming profitable by a matter of quarters, not years, Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said on Thursday. Editor’s Note:

California Sues Uber and Lyft, Claiming Workers Are Misclassified	New York Times
OAKLAND, Calif. — California’s attorney general and a coalition of city attorneys in the state sued Uber and Lyft on Tuesday, claiming the companies wrongfully classified their drivers as independent contractors in violation of a state law that makes them employees. Editor’s Note:

We must use arts funding to rewild our cultural landscape after coronavirus	The Guardian
No one has died from not going to an art gallery. Or from missing a night at the theatre, or not seeing a great band. So when people are actually dying it may seem a little churlish to complain that culture feels a little dead. Editor’s Note:

Consumer internet firms offer support schemes for their freelance workers	Business Standard
At a time when gig workers are among the hardest hit economically by the coronavirus pandemic, consumer internet firms in the country are coming up with various initiatives to provide support to them who are employed with these firms in large numbers. Editor’s Note: Gig workers in India have been suffering due to the ongoing COVID crisis. However, they have recently found a new and unlikely support system in the form of consumer internet firms, Peerzada Abrar reports.

5 Reasons You Should Go Back To Work – Even If You Make More From Unemployment Benefits	Forbes
Since the middle of March, over 30 million workers have filed unemployment claims. Unemployment benefits provide workers with a safety net that should make things much easier for the millions of newly unemployed workers. Editor’s Note:

Deliveroo Lowers Restaurant Commission Fees to 5 Percent, but There’s a Catch	The Spoon
Deliveroo this week said it would lower the commission fees it charges restaurants to just 5 percent — but only on orders where the restaurant provides its own delivery drivers. The announcement comes as restaurants increasingly call for the service to address its steep fees and as Deliveroo’s overall business struggles during the pandemic. Editor’s Note:

Airbnb hosts are building their own direct-booking websites in revolt	CNBC
Short-term rental hosts are banding together and launching their own direct-booking websites in an effort to diversify their business after years of mounting frustration with Airbnb and other short-term rental providers. Editor’s Note:

Are shared electric scooters going extinct? Lime’s valuation reportedly tanks	Electrek
At this time two years ago, shared electric scooters that riders could rent by the minute were the hottest new thing in the world of personal electric transportation. Companies like Lime and Bird saw their valuations balloon north of $1 billion. Editor’s Note:

Art and the pandemic: An industry that desperately needs support	Daily Maverick
The livelihoods of cultural workers are especially vulnerable during an economic downturn. They are often left behind by social security measures, despite their necessity to the economy and society. At a time when we are all turning to artistic products to help us through uncertain times, it’s essential for artists to be supported — not put on pause. Editor’s Note:

Unpredictable and uninsured: The challenging labor market experiences of nontraditional workers	Brookings
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. labor market has deteriorated from a position of relative strength into an extraordinarily weak condition in just a matter of weeks. Yet even in times of relative strength, millions of Americans struggle in the labor market, and although it is still early in the current downturn, there are already clear signs that many of those same workers are struggling all the more today. Editor’s Note:

33 million have sought US unemployment aid since virus hit	Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. economic catastrophe in decades. Editor’s Note:

Uber Leads $170 Million Investment in Lime Electric Scooters	Bloomberg
Uber Technologies Inc. is leading an investment round of $170 million in scooter-rental company Lime, a lifeline for a startup reeling from plunging customer numbers and companywide layoffs. Editor’s Note:

The Coronavirus Means Curtains for Artists	The Nation
In attempting to understand the impact of the pandemic on artists and the arts, we need to start by recognizing that this new crisis has collided with an arts economy that was already severely weakened by 20 years of digital assault. Editor’s Note:

What do the Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber layoffs mean for Seattle engineering outposts?	Geek Wire
Silicon Valley engineering outposts have added an interesting dynamic to Seattle’s burgeoning tech community over the past 15 years. More than 125 of these centers now operate from Bellevue to Belltown, representing thousands of tech workers at companies such as Apple, eBay, HBO, Oracle and Sonos, according to GeekWire data. Editor’s Note:


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