Why You Should Always Leave a Tip: An Exploration of Gig Work

Author: Michael Valdez

Field of Study: Economics

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Will Glovinsky

Easel: 55

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Following the rise of platform companies such as Uber and Doordash, alternative work arrangements have grown significantly. Between 2005 and 2015, the percentage of American gig workers has increased from 10.7% to 16%. While platform companies advertise flexibility and autonomy, critics argue that gig work transfers risk to workers, who lack traditional employment benefits such as a regular salary, health insurance, and job security. For those concerned about the effects of the gig economy, the impacts of a universal basic income are fiercely debated: while labor leader Andy Stern and leftwing futurist Nick Srnicek argue that a basic income could provide security and bargaining power for gig workers, others contend that basic income would subsidize platform capitalism by socializing costs. This project examines how gig work’s precarity affects dependent and supplemental workers and determines whether a UBI transforms gig workers’ structural position or stabilizes existing exploitation.