Lots of “so much this” happening around here today. Great article at New City Commons on the rise of alternative job arrangements. (I have one, so I’m profoundly interested.) Some highlights:
Katz and Krueger come to a remarkable conclusion. Though they state it tentatively, the claim is bold and surprising: “All of the net employment growth in the U.S. economy from 2005 to 2015 appears to have occurred in alternative work arrangements.”
The old bargain between labor and capital—sweat for security—has, for all intents and purposes, been called off. And what is left in its place is a polarized labor market, divided between those highly skilled laborers for whom “flexibility” is a perk, and the many others for whom it is a serious obstacle to financial security.
The gig-economy is intended to supplement rather than replace workers’ income. But the question is: will there be something stable that is being supplemented? [Read more. Trust me, you want to.]
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