Gig labor: Trading safety nets for steering wheels☆

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fos, Vyacheslav; Hamdi, Naser; Kalda, Ankit; Nickerson, Jordan
• 署名单位: Boston College; Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE); Indiana University of Pennsylvania; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-405X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2024.103956
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: Gig-economy; labor markets; household debt; Credit delinquencies; unemployment insurance

摘要

Using administrative data on credit profiles matched with unemployment insurance (UI) for individuals in the U.S., we show that laid-off workers with access to Uber rely lesson household debt, experience fewer delinquencies, and are less likely to apply for UI benefits. Our empirical strategy exploits both the staggered market entry of Uber across cities and the differential benefit of its entry across car owners based on car age, a key eligibility requirement of the platform. We conclude that the introduction of Uber reduced reliance on these alternative means of smoothing extreme income shocks.