Ty Tan — April 21, 2026
Up until a few years ago, Alejandro G., a rideshare driver in Houston, Texas, was making “really good money.” Yet as he tells Human Rights Watch, declining fares turned what was once $20 per hour into just $2. Alejandro is not the only American trapped in the gig economy, and he certainly won’t be the last. Business Research Insights reports that by 2035, the gig economy is forecast to be worth $2.522 Trillion. Under the Trump administration’s economic uncertainty, millions are losing their jobs. Just last year, 42 million Americans were involved in the gig economy. This is turning the gig economy from extra cash for people who have the time to something every American is turning to. As America’s economy becomes more volatile, the only question left is “what’s next?”
Despite its modern-day appeal, gig work has actually existed for decades in the United States. From the Union hiring halls of the 70s to the early days of Craigslist in the 90s, gig work essentially existed as a way for people to have careers in seasonal or project-based work. However, the evolution of digital labor platforms like Uber (2015) has fundamentally shifted expectations in our labor force toward flexible, autonomous work. A brief from the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2026 revealed there are at least 653 active platforms across sectors like taxi, healthcare and personal services. These platforms have seen millions of workers today flock to these platforms as a source of income, with 31% of workers reporting it was their main source of income. As gig work becomes more pervasive, its negative impacts are numerous.
The main concern around gig work is the lack of worker protections. Despite being free to set their own schedules, the gig economy leaves these “independent contractors” exposed. Unentitled to wage or labor protections, an adequate standard of living doesn’t exist for many workers. Instead, platforms like Lyft, DoorDash, etc are opaque, algorithmic platforms that give work to the “lowest bid.” For example, in the nursing industry, reclassification as “independent contractors” has created nearly $5 million in unpaid overtime work. Together, gig economy workers are facing wage theft on a massive scale while massive corporations are left unaccountable. At the end of the day, as long as current laws surrounding the gig economy remain in place, Americans are left to suffer.
As the cost of living continues to rise, the gig economy is turning from a side hustle to scramble for survival. Now is the time for the U.S. government to step in, or leave millions of Americans vulnerable to unavoidable theft.
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