1This afternoon, we interrogate the gig economy, a labour market phenomenon that has generated as much confusion as commentary.
2At its simplest, the term denotes short paid tasks that are mediated by digital platforms rather than by conventional employment contracts.
3Contrary to the platforms' own publicity, the majority of gig workers do not treat this as supplementary income.
4Early survey data suggested widespread casual participation, though longitudinal studies later revealed a substantial cohort of full time workers.
5What I want to emphasize here is the asymmetry of risk, which sits almost entirely with the worker.
6Consider insurance: platform couriers injured while delivering frequently discover that neither the platform nor the restaurant bears liability.
7It is not flexibility itself but the absence of bargaining power that critics identify as the core problem.
8Let me offer one concrete illustration drawn from a landmark employment ruling issued recently by the British Supreme Court.
9The court rejected the claim that drivers were independent contractors, classifying them instead as workers entitled to minimum wage.
10Proponents of the platforms counter that such rulings erode the very autonomy that attracts many people to platform work.
11To conclude, the gig economy crystallises a fundamental question: how should societies distribute security between firms and individuals?