Gig Workers, Freelancers and Independent Contractors: New shifts in the economy, old stories of worker-employer power, and what gig workers need to thrive

Though gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors have received increasing attention in recent years, the conditions of their work and their needs remain not well understood. Moreover, the enormous social and economic upheaval of the past several years exposed how vulnerable gig workers are to employment fluctuations and challenging working conditions. Delivery workers and independent contractors worked throughout the pandemic without paid time off or guaranteed unemployment benefits.Previous research has shown that gig workers should be separated into (at least) two groups: low-paid service workers who are potentially misclassified; and gig workers who fulfill more of the characteristics the New York State Department of Labor says “true independent contractors” should enjoy, including setting their own hourly rates. This study provides in-depth information from over 400 survey respondents from Western Queens in these two groups, to document:• The wide variety of occupations in which gig and independent contractor work is prevalent, from for-hire drivers, construction workers or day laborers, barbers and salon workers, to artists, administrative assistants and software designers;• The lived experience of gig workers, including the shape of their workweeks, how many hours and how many days a week they work, and their overall economic precarity;• Their career ambitions, workforce needs, and challenges in navigating the job market;• Their workforce training and education needs; and• The support systems they rely upon, including social, educational, and professional services that are often not tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable precarious workers. This study follows the first Astoria Project report, which offered an in-depth account of the economic, social, and mental health impacts of Covid-19 on workers in Astoria. It synthesizes survey data from 415 gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors from Western Queens, centered on the neighborhoods of Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Ravenswood. It also draws on a series of focus groups, conducted between September and December 2023.Just over half of the survey respondents fall into what we term the service, administrative, and construction gig worker category; the remainder represent the professional, education, and arts gig worker category. This report highlights the particular working conditions of these two groups and underscores their shared needs.