Labor Relations Commons^™

On-Demand Platform Workers In New York State: The Challenges For Public Policy, Ileen A. Devault, Maria Figueroa, Fred B. Kotler, Michael Maffie, John Wu

Ileen A DeVault

[Excerpt] This report examines one specific subset of New York state’s contingent workforce: on-demand workers who obtain work through online platforms or “apps.” Often referred to popularly as “gig” workers, we use the phrase “on-demand platform workers” in an attempt to clarify the workers to whom we refer.

Our research shows that on-demand platform workers:

• Are notoriously difficult to count, due to factors such as the part-time quality of their work, high turnover rates and confusion over the definition of terms;
  
  
• Experience low and unstable earnings and a lack of benefits, requiring reliance on second or third jobs, other family …