Be very careful talking about competition or switching costs with gig work.
It is very easy to get and quit a gig job.
None that I know of restrict you via noncompetes.
> it is not a zero-sum game
> does not become employed and then be magically better for life
> would have been unemployed forever had this business not come along
That's what makes it non zero sum. The marginal worker is better off, because this new marginal employer exists. Any down-the-line employer which isn't this one will be worse by definition.
> This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the employment market was a fixed pie
Doesn't make sense. Either error in logic or I can't parse your final point.
Uber specifically helped arrange loans to buy a car, using the money the driver would make with Uber to justify they had ability to pay. They then unilaterally reduced drivers profit by close to half, leaving those who bought a rapidly-depreciating asset facing a need to work 12-15 hour days to make payments.
It is very easy to get and quit a gig job.
None that I know of restrict you via noncompetes.
> it is not a zero-sum game
> does not become employed and then be magically better for life
> would have been unemployed forever had this business not come along
That's what makes it non zero sum. The marginal worker is better off, because this new marginal employer exists. Any down-the-line employer which isn't this one will be worse by definition.
> This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the employment market was a fixed pie
Doesn't make sense. Either error in logic or I can't parse your final point.