Good Work in the Gig Economy: Building a Sustainable App-based Economy

App-based short-term work, often called gig work, has been around for more than a decade. As use of app-based services has grown and become part of many people’s daily lives, so has awareness of the risks and challenges it presents to workers. During the pandemic, attention on gig work surged as thousands of unemployed service workers turned to apps for an income, and millions relied on these workers to deliver food and other essentials to their homes. Coming out of the pandemic, what is the status of gig work today, and what does the future hold? While many problems with the most widely used apps persist, new models have emerged as platform-based work has become an established part of the labor market. Join as we explore how people are challenging the status quo of gig work and reimagining platform-based jobs to be good jobs that can sustain workers. In this conversation, we hear about alternative models of platform-based work, including cooperatives and public options, about policies being introduced to improve gig workers’ lives, and about research showing us what’s ahead. This event features a panel discussion with Will Coleman (Alto), Lexi Gervis (Steady), Ligia Guallpa (Worker's Justice Project), Adrian Haro (The Workers Lab), and Shelly Steward (The Aspen Institute). For more information — including video, audio, transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources — visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/good-work-in-the-gig-economy-building-a-sustainable-app-based-economy/