Beyond the algorithm : qualitative insights for gig work regulation

"Introduction Deepa das Acevedo This book, although it may appear to be a single book, is in fact two. On the one hand, this is a book about labor exchange in the gig economy masquerading as a book about the value of qualitative empirical data for law and policy development. On the other hand, this is also a book about the value of qualitative empirical data masquerading as a book about the buying, selling, and performance of labor via gig companies like Uber and Airbnb. Since a reader may find it difficult to tell which of these two she is reading at any given moment this introduction will sketch the contours and purpose of each book. Gig Work as a book about labor exchange in the gig economy this volume dives deeply into what is, in many ways, the hot-button work law issue of the day. The gig economy has generated immense popular interest in labor conditions - no mean feat in an era of decreasing unionization and growing corporate power - as much as it has commanded attention from policymakers and scholars. In many ways this appeal is unsurprising given the aura of innovation and entrepreneurship that surrounds the gig economy, the way it reflects broader trends toward micro- and on-demand transactions, and its incorporation of widely accessible technology."