Platform- or app-based gig work has seen its share of ups and downs in recent years, and this week brought a new twist.
The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a rule that would push companies to classify many gig workers as employees — with all the rights and benefits that entails.
Platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have pushed to keep workers independent contractors, saying it’s essential to their business models.
So where could the gig economy go from here?
Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Arun Sundararajan, a business professor at New York University, who explained that gig work is now part of the fabric of our economy and how it should change to meet modern demands.
The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Arun Sundararajan: You know, this idea of arranging economic activity in a way that you’ve got a platform sitting in the middle…
