Gig-Labor: Trading Safety Nets for Steering Wheels

69 Pages Posted: 5 Jul 2019 Last revised: 16 Apr 2021

See all articles by Vyacheslav Fos

Vyacheslav Fos

Boston College - Department of Finance; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Naser Hamdi

Equifax, Inc.

Ankit Kalda

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Finance

Jordan Nickerson

University of Washington - Department of Finance and Business Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 3, 2019

Abstract

Using administrative data on unemployment insurance matched with the credit profiles for individuals in the U.S., we show that laid-off employees with access to Uber are less likely to apply for UI benefits, rely less on household debt, and experience fewer delinquencies. Our empirical strategy exploits both the staggered entry of Uber across cities and the differential benefit of Uber's entry across car owners based on car age, a key eligibility requirement of the platform. We conclude that the introduction of Uber had a profound effect on labor markets, changing the way employees respond to job loss.

Keywords: gig-economy, labor markets, unemployment insurance, household debt, credit delinquencies

JEL Classification: D10, E24, H53, J23, J65

Suggested Citation

Fos, Vyacheslav and Hamdi, Naser and Kalda, Ankit and Nickerson, Jordan, Gig-Labor: Trading Safety Nets for Steering Wheels (July 3, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3414041 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3414041

Vyacheslav Fos

Boston College - Department of Finance ( email )

Carroll School of Management
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3808
United States

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

London
United Kingdom

Naser Hamdi

Equifax, Inc. ( email )

Atlanta, GA
United States

Ankit Kalda

Indiana University - Kelley School of Business - Department of Finance ( email )

1309 E. 10th St.
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States

Jordan Nickerson (Contact Author)

University of Washington - Department of Finance and Business Economics ( email )

Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195
United States

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