“Is the Gig Economy Moral?”

— 2024 Question

Cassie Taggart is a 23-year-old native of South Amboy, New Jersey, entering her 6th year at UND. She is currently double majoring in Atmospheric Sciences and Middle-Level Education with a minor in Philosophy. Cassie is a STEM Ambassador for the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium (NDSGC), a Student Ambassador for the university, and holds leadership roles in student organizations like the Queer-Trans Alliance and Writing Club. Her multifaceted involvement reflects her dedication to academic excellence, community engagement, and fostering inclusivity on campus

Uber, DoorDash, AirBnB: when these companies first started they were touted as a new era of free and flexible employment. Employees could work on their own time, in the comfort of their own cars, earn as much and as little as they wanted, and be their own bosses. In return, consumers wouldn’t be subject to exorbitant taxi companies, could get anything they wanted delivered, and were able to travel with amenities far cheaper than ever before. These new “gig” jobs were declared a win-win for everyone.

But things got dark quickly. The money employees earn isn’t enough to live on, there are few safety regulations protecting either workers or customers, and prices increase regularly. Workers can be fired for no reason, rarely receive benefits, and can pull out of a deal without warning, leaving customers out in the cold. There are no unions and few advocates; every colleague is a competitor, and the line between private life and work life grows thinner.

It is therefore time to ask whether the gig economy is immoral? Is it time to move on?

The question of this essay asks you to balance the positives of flexible work against the harms of economic fragility. This is not an easy task. Yes, gig economies hurt workers, but so does unemployment. Yes, the system is rigged against employees, but if has changed the way we all live, possibly for the better. The question we would like you to ask is not whether the gig economy is functioning—whether it works—but whether it is good or bad. This involves looking at the controversy through a moral lens more than an economic one. 

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