The Gig Economy: Contract Work and its Consequences in the Digital Age Open Access

Abstract

With the rise of the digital age, the economy has gone through fundamental changes and altered how we view work and employment. The rise of alternative work arrangements and the gig economy has presented new opportunities and challenges for workers and employers alike. Estimates of the independent workforce suggest upwards of 12 million individuals in the United States have foregone traditional employment. The digital gig economy has grown substantially with companies like Uber, Upwork, and Airbnb all offering independent avenues of income for gig workers. In this paper, I explore the existing research on the gig economy, its benefits, consequences, and its expansive development since the COVID-19 pandemic. I then conduct a thorough content analysis of news articles from the ProQuest newspaper database to explore public sentiment and popular media surrounding the 2020 ballot measure Proposition 22 in California and the arguments surrounding its introduction to its passing. Using MaxQDA software I conduct a qualitative analysis of the arguments for and against Proposition 22 and collect quantitative data on the themes of said arguments. I find that proponents of the bill most commonly use arguments related to the continued flexibility of gig work and the maintaining of gig jobs while detractors typically argue against the bill on the grounds of employee benefits and the manipulative practices deployed by gig platforms to support the bill.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

Literature Review.............................................................................................................................5

1.     Measuring the Gig Economy.......................................................................................................5

2.     Benefits of the Gig Economy......................................................................................................11

3.     Consequences of Gig Work........................................................................................................14

4.     COVID-19 and the Gig Economy................................................................................................20

Summary of Literature Review.........................................................................................................26

Data and Methods...........................................................................................................................31 Findings.........................................................................................................................................33

Discussion and Conclusion..............................................................................................................41

References.....................................................................................................................................44

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Sociology
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations Sociology, Public and Social Welfare Sociology, General
Keyword	Gig Work Gig Economy
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Deric Shannon, Emory University
Committee Members	Timothy Dowd, Emory University Irene Browne, Emory University

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