The Gig is Up: An Overview of New York City’s App-based Gig Workforce during COVID-19

Policy Brief | Jul. 2021

The Gig is Up: An Overview of New York City’s App-based Gig Workforce during COVID-19

Irene Lew, Debipriya Chatterjee, Emerita Torres

Summary: The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has exposed the gaping holes in the safety net for demand, app-based gig workers. These workers are at the frontlines of the pandemic, putting their own health and the health of their families at risk. Yet, because they are classified as independent contractors, these workers continue to be excluded from critical job protections and full benefits provided to employees in conventional work arrangements. This brief seeks to fill in the gaps in what we know about the New York City’s app-based gig workforce and those in other nontraditional work arrangements, highlight the impact of the coronavirus on the app-based gig workforce, and provide an overview of recommendations at the city, state, and federal levels to address the dearth of labor protections for app-based gig workers.

Issues: Paid Family Leave, Paid Sick Days, The Unheard Third, Workforce

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