A new report from the Congressional Research Service examines the “gig” economy and its implications for workers.
“The gig economy is the collection of markets that match providers to consumers on a gig (or job) basis in support of on-demand commerce. In the basic model, gig workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies (e.g., Uber, TaskRabbit) to provide services to the company’s clients. Prospective clients request services through an Internet-based technological platform or smartphone application that allows them to search for providers or to specify jobs. Providers (i.e., gig workers) engaged by the on-demand company provide the requested service and are compensated for the jobs.”
“Recent trends in on-demand commerce suggest that gig workers may represent a growing segment of the U.S. labor market. In response, some Members of Congress have raised questions, for example, about the size of the gig workforce, how workers are using gig work, and the implications of the gig economy for labor standards and livelihoods more generally.” See What Does the Gig Economy Mean for Workers?, February 5, 2016.
Another new CRS publication considers a scenario in which the next Congress could revoke any final agency rules that are issued by the Obama Administration after May 2016. See Agency Final Rules Submitted After May 16, 2016, May Be Subject to Disapproval in 2017 Under the Congressional Review Act, CRS Insight, February 4, 2016.
Other new or newly updated CRS reports that have been withheld from public release include the following.
Is Biopower Carbon Neutral?, udpated February 4, 2016
State Minimum Wages: An Overview, updated February 3, 2016
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: An Overview, updated February 3, 2016
CFTC’s Auditor Finds “Material Error” in FY2015 Financial Statements, CRS Insight, February 3, 2016
Is Broadband Deployment Reasonable and Timely?, CRS Insight, February 3, 2016
Military Maternity and Parental Leave Policies, CRS Insight, February 3, 2016
Zika Virus: Global Health Considerations, CRS Insight, February 2, 2016
Americans are paying too much for almost everything, because the United States has long treated its trucking industry as an artifact to be preserved rather than as an opportunity for innovation.
These ideas aim to advance the detailed policy solutions needed to foster public trust and implement fairness in the adoption of AI across diverse domains, from healthcare and government benefits to rural access, education, and worker protections.
The evidence is clear: algorithmic pay-setting is established in app-based work, and payroll/timekeeping failures show how software can produce systemic wage harm at scale
While a few states have taken steps to implement decision-making mechanisms for certain AI systems, too many leaders are simply accepting narratives about AI’s purported public benefit at face value – jumping to the “how” of AI implementation before thoroughly vetting potential systems and deciding whether they are appropriate to use at all.