Economy Shared

The Times has published its third or so major piece on the part-time and gig economy in nearly as many weeks — this one focussed on those employed by apps, commonly known as members of the “sharing economy.” Predictably, the founder of a car-sharing marketplace that will be crushed by Uber, called RelayRides, describes it as “transformational.” And yet:

“On average, you’re going to make $7 per favor,” [Kelsey Cruse] Cruse explained, using the company’s euphemism for a delivery. “If you are running two favors in an hour, that’s $14 an hour. It’s pretty awesome.” She hadn’t yet racked up enough “favors” to earn that much consistently. So far that week, she had worked about 20 hours and earned $179 — the company minimum.

…

[Jennifer Guidry] recognizes that her current routine may not be sustainable. Between 10 a.m. on Saturday and 5 a.m. on Sunday, she had earned about $263. But that had required working marathon hours and running a sleep deficit.

Transformational and awesome.

Photo by stratman