UCLA Study: Gig Workers Hit Hard During Pandemic

Workers stand in unison holding signs at a rally opposing Proposition 22, a measure that would allow ride-share drivers to work as independent contractors, in Orange, Calif., on Oct. 16, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

LOS ANGELES (CNS)—A University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) study published on Oct. 19 found that 80 percent of gig workers cannot meet household expenses and nearly half received no personal protective equipment from gig companies during the pandemic, worsening conditions for an already struggling segment of the workforce.

The crisis highlights a need for structural change in the industry, according to the report, a collaboration between the UCLA Labor Center, a unit of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, and SEIU United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW).