Backlash against sharing economy worthy of the Luddite label
“A widely publicized report commissioned by the Freelancers Union in 2014 found what appears to be strong evidence of a growing gig economy: About a third of the workforce, 53 million Americans, are now freelancers, the report says,” Eli Lehrer, president of the free-market R Street Institute, noted recently in National Affairs.
At the same time, Lehrer warns, while the benefits of the “gig economy” are many and varied, it isn’t happening fast enough, and one of the main stumbling blocks is government.
“Rather than approve proposals that more or less outlaw gig work on platforms – as many states and cities led by liberals are considering – government should instead enact policies that promote a gig economy,” Lehrer urges. That includes lifting restrictions on sharing-economy businesses such as Uber and Airbnb, but also easing overly burdensome licensing requirements that stifle competition.
