Gig workers by and large view their jobs in a positive light, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center on the state of gig work in 2021.
The majority of current or recent gig workers, which the report defines as people who have earned money on online gig platforms in the past 12 months, say the platforms are fair on a few key things: Roughly 72% say these companies have been somewhat or very fair in terms of how their jobs are assigned, and 64% consider the companies fair when it comes to pay.
On three more key elements of their work — the number of jobs available to them, how quickly they find jobs once they look, and the amount of money they've earned — roughly two-thirds of current or recent gig workers reported being somewhat or very satisfied.
But one area where gig workers aren't so happy? Benefits. Forty-six percent of current or recent gig workers view these companies as somewhat or very unfair when it comes to their benefits.
Benefits have long been a point of contention in the gig economy, where workers are often classified as independent contractors. This status means they don't get the job security, legal protections, and benefits like health insurance that workers classified as employees typically receive. A May survey from McKinsey and Ipsos found that gig workers "overwhelmingly" want to be permanent employees.
Last year, companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars in California in an effort to pass Prop. 22, a ballot measure that would have let them avoid classifying drivers as employees. The proposition ultimately passed last November, but a judge ruled it unconstitutional this August.
The report also found that, while the majority of workers viewed their gig platforms as fair about pay, many of them didn't really understand how their pay was calculated. Roughly 44% of people who have ever earned money through online or delivery platforms said they at least somewhat understand how the companies decided what the workers were paid, but 52% said they "not too well" or "not at all well" understood.
