Balancing profits and human dignity in the gig economy
Cities have been ecosystems to improve trade and connect humans since the earliest days of civilization. As they evolved, cities developed protocols to ensure their denizens would experience more dignified, livable conditions. Historically, they have grappled with labor fairness and conquered issues of disease and poverty — moving from the “Dickens economy” to one in which labor can organize and achieve benefits such as improved wages and health care.
Yet, over the past decade and especially with the rise of the gig economy, our collective position on the value of labor has changed — and we argue that this change has not been positive in all aspects. The question we should ponder as we move into a new decade is how we can strike a balance between profits and human dignity in the on-demand workforce….