For many, the gig economy is part of everyday life: it affects how our food and groceries are delivered, our transportation options, and where we stay when we travel. But while apps like Uber tend to receive the most attention, this shift in the labor market manifests in many different ways. Essentially, it applies to anyone who forgoes traditional full-time employment for temporary or contract-based work. A wide range of viewpoints consider how the gig economy has developed, its advantages and disadvantages for both workers and consumers, and whether regulation could help ensure its growth is beneficial to all involved.

Is the gig economy a positive innovation for workers and consumers? Overview: The gig economy presents opportunities and disadvantages / Western Governors University ; The gig economy is the latest wave of economic innovation / Aditya Gupta ; There are ways to make the gig economy work for employees / International Labour Organization (ILO) ; The gig economy can have beneficial impacts on workers' mental health / Mark Stabile ; The rise of the gig economy has opened up avenues of exploitation / Julie Davies and Mark Horan ; Rather than being innovative, the gig economy is making work unsafe and unstable / Anthony Gabb ; The conditions of the gig economy are unfair and tumultuous / Nidheesh M. K. ; The instability of the gig economy takes a toll on workers / Timothy J. Legg -- Does the gig economy fill a need in the labor market? Overview: The relationship between workers and employers in the gig economy is complicated / Jeffery Marino ; The gig economy offers numerous benefits to workers and consumers / Séamus Nevin ; For some, the gig economy offers a key way to make ends meet / Elka Torpey and Andrew Hogan ; Millennials are less interested in traditional work / Bernhard Resch ; The gig economy has given employers more control over employees' income / Larry Elliott ; Companies in the gig economy function on manipulation / Abbey Stemler, Joshua E. Perry, and Todd Haugh ; Companies in the gig economy are resistant to offering sustainable conditions / Levi Sumagaysay and Ethan Baron -- Should the gig economy be more regulated? Overview: Regulating the gig economy requires balancing priorities / The World Bank Group ; The gig economy has not been open to regulations that would benefit workers and consumers / Corporate Europe Observatory ; The gig economy presents economic risks for those who participate in it / Sarah Kaine and Emmanuel Josserand ; Under self-regulation, companies in the gig economy operate legally but not in an economically secure way / Genevieve Shanahan and Mark Smith ; The current gig economy benfits businesses, not employees / Charlotte Pickles ; Self-regulation can be an effective tool to protect the rights of workers and companies / Scott Shackelford ; Regulation can stifle growth and innovation in an emerging market / Matthew Bevan ; Regulation would reduce the flexibility of gig work / Timothy B. Lee -- Does the gig economy fundamentally change the labor market? Overview: The effects of the gig economy on the workforce / Tom Gresham ; The gig economy is fundamentally different from the labor market of the past / Shelly Strom ; The gig economy is a result of larger changes in the broader economy / Clive Hopkins ; Technology drives the gig economy / Dawn Onley ; With computers as bosses, the gig economy shifts workplace dynamics / Clark Merrefield ; The gig economy does not have a serious impact on most traditional work / Greg Rosalksy ; The traditional economy remains the best bet for businesses / David Marin-Guzman ; Gig work is usually just a temporary option for workers / Adewale Maye ; Gig work has long had a place in the economy / Tawny Paul -- Organizations to contact.