Toward a Just Future for Platform Labor

Summary

The recently published Pew Research Center report on “Gig Work, Online Selling, and Home Sharing” confirms what many scholars of the so-called “sharing” or “on-demand” economy already knew: The world of platform-mediated labor is variegated and marked by striking class, gender, and racial inequalities.

Some of my colleagues have already provided some insightful commentaries on the report. What I aim to contribute is a brief reflection on how to move forward from here. After digesting what the report tells us about the present and potential future of work, how should we respond?