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I did a historical search of articles using: "uber on the promise of gig economy" and cutoff articles after 2017 First article has a paragraph that is fairly r

I did a historical search of articles using: "uber on the promise of gig economy" and cutoff articles after 2017 First article has a paragraph that is fairly representative: https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-motivates-gig-economy-workers https://hbr.org/2016/11/what-motivates-gig-economy-workers > One of the promises of the gig economy is that workers have more flexibility to work when and as much as they want. That’s why many people start driving to earn extra income outside of their day jobs or in their free time. Hobbyists represent an illustrative segment of part-time drivers in the ridehail workforce. These supplemental earners are comprised of retirees, working professionals, and empty-nesters. Their primary motivation to work is often social. My research suggests that they benefit most clearly from Uber’s employment model of independent contract labor, as they gain more opportunities for marginal employment and are less vulnerable to the same business practices (e.g., rate cuts) that prompt strikes and protests from drivers who rely on Uber as a primary source of their household income.

javiramos 7y ago
I ride Uber daily to commute to work. The article describes pretty well my experience with Uber. It is a bimodal mix of (1) people who want flexible, marginal employment and (2) people who make a living out of it. The people who make a living out of it definitely get the short end of the stick.
- deleted 7y ago
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- esotericn 7y ago
  Is it viable to do Uber flexibly in the US? In the UK it's not. I looked into it as I'd enjoy driving people about on weekends, and I rarely drink so I could do nights out etc. Assuming you have a car that's suitable, you still need a private hire licence and taxi insurance that make it uneconomical unless you do fairly long hours.
  - kn0where 7y ago
    In the US, regulations on Uber are mostly at a state or city level, so in many cities you don’t need that special license, etc (although your regular insurance company won’t be happy if they catch on)
icebraining 7y ago
Exactly. Where does it say "well-paying jobs"? They're talking about people who already have jobs or pensions, just making a few bucks on the site, and whose "primary motivation to work is often social", not money.

javiramos 7y ago

I ride Uber daily to commute to work. The article describes pretty well my experience with Uber. It is a bimodal mix of (1) people who want flexible, marginal employment and (2) people who make a living out of it. The people who make a living out of it definitely get the short end of the stick.

deleted 7y ago
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esotericn 7y ago
Is it viable to do Uber flexibly in the US? In the UK it's not. I looked into it as I'd enjoy driving people about on weekends, and I rarely drink so I could do nights out etc. Assuming you have a car that's suitable, you still need a private hire licence and taxi insurance that make it uneconomical unless you do fairly long hours.
- kn0where 7y ago
  In the US, regulations on Uber are mostly at a state or city level, so in many cities you don’t need that special license, etc (although your regular insurance company won’t be happy if they catch on)

icebraining 7y ago

Exactly. Where does it say "well-paying jobs"? They're talking about people who already have jobs or pensions, just making a few bucks on the site, and whose "primary motivation to work is often social", not money.