Istafa Ali
More and more, one-job workers are having to deal with problems caused by the changing gig economy.
As the gig economy grows, it changes the way people usually work and challenges the idea that one job equals security. A recent interview with sociologist Alexandrea Ravenelle on CNBC sheds light on how the gig economy has changed things and highlights the problems people with traditional one-job jobs face.
Ravenelle, a well-known and recognized expert in this field, talks about what she has learned from studying the changing job market in an honest interview.
She talks about how the age of having only one job is ending and how “poly-working,” or having to work more than one job to make ends meet, is becoming more popular.
Her book, “Side Hustle Safety Net,” is based on interviews she mostly did in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a sad look at the problems workers are having in this new environment.
Ravenelle’s research shows that workers in the gig economy don’t have a clear idea of when they can quit. The promise of security goes away, and in its place is a cycle in which workers lose their jobs because they are tired or don’t want to use the platform anymore. This leaves workers without a safety net for their later years.
The gig economy claims to offer freedom, but Ravenelle shows how hard it can really be. Unexpected tax bills and the lack of benefits like health insurance given by employers make it hard for workers to save money.
Some gig workers were able to switch to more stable jobs because of unemployment benefits that were given during the pandemic, but many are still stuck in a circle with no clear way out.
Ravenelle stressed that workers who at first think of gig jobs as short-term options often find that they can’t go back to regular jobs. When people try to go back to stable work, they run into problems because companies question the usefulness of gig work.
As the gig economy grows, Ravenelle’s ideas show how important it is to rethink how work is done and how laws are made. The allure of side jobs isn’t as glamorous as it seems. In reality, workers who do them have to deal with financial stress and uncertainty. As the gig economy grows, the situation of workers with only one job calls for action to make the future safer for everyone.
