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☆ As high-paying jobs become harder to get, more Americans are looking to Uber and Lyft for extra income
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gig work, in particular ride-hailing for companies like Uber and Lyft, is getting more popular. AdvertisementMore and more Americans are taking up gig work for companies like Uber and Lyft — in part because some have fewer options to land high-paying jobs. Additionally, BofA found that people with ride-hailing income earned, on average, more a month than those who did delivery gig work. Vacation rental was the highest-earning gig BofA measured, but this is only accessible to people with a home to rent out. While some young people could value the supplementary income gig work can provide — particularly if they're struggling to pay the bills — others may end up disappointed.

Persons: Uber, —, Lyft, BofA, it's, they've, Kate Bahn, X, Gen, they're Organizations: Service, Bank of America, Bank of America Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Institute for Women's, Research, Atlanta Fed, millennials

☆ Gig workers are fed up with being treated as second-class citizens by store workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Employees at supermarkets and Walmart stores often ignore gig workers — or berate them. Several gig workers that BI spoke with said that cooperating — or fighting — with store workers is a regular part of their job as independent contractors. AdvertisementFor Spark workers who go into a Walmart store, things can be even worse — ironic, some say, given Spark is owned and operated by Walmart. Conflict between gig workers and store employees isn't new. AdvertisementAnd store employees aren't the only ones giving gig workers a hard time.

Persons: —, who've, I'm, it's, they've, Instacart Organizations: Walmart, Service, Spark, Business, Shoppers Locations: California, It's, Portland , Oregon, Montana, Illinois

☆ Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps appear to be trying to roll back Seattle's new laws for gig workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps seem to be trying to roll back Seattle's new gig worker pay law. They say Seattle gig workers are making less and delivering fewer orders after many raised prices. But in the preamble to the survey, Instacart indicated it already had thoughts about how things were going. One poster, who included screenshots of the message, encouraged other Instacart shoppers to turn the pre-written letter to the city council around. Uber Eats and Grubhub have also put out statements saying that things have gotten worse for their gig workers since Seattle's law took effect.

Persons: —, Instacart, they've, That's, PayUp, DoorDash, Dashers, Anna Powell, GeekWire, Powell Organizations: Service, Seattle City Council, Business, Instacart, BI, Walmart Locations: Seattle, Seattle's, DoorDash

☆ Tax Day: What happens if you haven’t filed yet or paid what you owe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —If you haven’t filed your 2023 tax return with the IRS yet and you still owe income tax for last year, the good news is you still have time to rectify those situations before you’re penalized for failing to do so. Some, however, get an extra day or two if they live in Maine, Massachusetts or Washington, DC, due to observed holidays. The IRS has also given an extension to individuals and businesses affected by the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. Keep in mind that this is only an extension to file your return and avoid a failure-to-file penalty. If you don’t pay what you owe by your tax-filing deadline you will also be hit with a failure-to-pay penalty.

Persons: Tom O’Saben, O’Saben, you’ve, ”, you’d, ” O’Saben Organizations: New, New York CNN, IRS, National Association of Tax Locations: New York, Maine , Massachusetts, Washington, DC, Israel

☆ AI companies are hiring gig workers to write essays that can train AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Companies are hiring highly educated gig workers to write training content for AI models. AI could run out of data to learn from by 2026, one research institute has warned. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAs artificial intelligence models run out of data to train themselves on, AI companies are increasingly turning to actual humans to write training content. For years, companies have used gig workers to help train AI models on simple tasks like photo identification, data annotation, and labelling.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Americans have no idea how to use their free time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

It's true that Americans are overworked, overstressed, and generally awful at unplugging from work, two time-use researchers told Business Insider. But the vast majority of Americans' leisure time is spent — you guessed it — in front of the television. Watching TV is the most popular leisure activity, accounting for an average of 2.8 hours a day — more than half of all Americans' leisure time. Americans' spend more time watching TV than any other leisure activity. AlavinphotoSexism and the safety netThere is also a gendered element at play when it comes to Americans' leisure time.

Persons: —, It's, I'm, Brigid Schulte, Liana Sayer, Sayer, Sayers, Schulte, Ciara Kelly, Kelly, We're Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, Bravo, University of Maryland's, Organization for Economic Co, Development, World Economic, US, The University of Sheffield Locations: America, France, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain, Japan, UK

☆ Americans have between 4 and 6 hours of leisure time daily. We just have no idea how to use it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementDespite class differences, 95% of Americans over the age of 15 engaged in some kind of leisure activity on a typical day, according to the 2022 time-use survey. But the vast majority of Americans' leisure time is spent — you guessed it — in front of the television. Watching TV is the most popular leisure activity, accounting for an average of 2.8 hours a day — more than half of all Americans' leisure time. Americans' spend more time watching TV than any other leisure activity. AlavinphotoSexism and the safety netThere is also a gendered element at play when it comes to Americans' leisure time.

☆ Lyft and Uber to cease operations in Minneapolis after new minimum wage law
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Lyft and Uber will stop offering services in Minneapolis on May 1 after the city council overrode the mayor’s veto of a minimum wage for rideshare drivers. The city council on Thursday voted 10-3 in favor of the override, allowing rideshare drivers to be paid the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour. “Everyone wants to see Uber and Lyft drivers get paid more. However, the analysis Frey referred to showed lower numbers — $0.89 per mile and $0.49 per minute — to make minimum wage. Minneapolis is debating the minimum wage as gig workers across the country are advocating for fair wages and job benefits.

Persons: New York CNN — Lyft, Uber, Lyft, ”, it’s “, Jacob Frey, ” Frey, Frey, Tim Walz, ” Lyft, – CNN’s Jennifer Henderson, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Twin, WCCO, Minnesota Gov, Democrat, Uber, New York City Locations: New York, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota, California

☆ Facial recognition tech is widespread now, but still might not recognize you
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Facial recognition frequently misidentifies people of colorMIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini found that facial recognition technology misidentified black women up to 35% of the time, the New York Times reported in 2018. When fewer photos of people from other racial and gender groups are used, facial recognition tech is less accurate at identifying people of those backgrounds, the study said. In some cases, it's possible to opt out of using facial recognition technology — and its high error rate. But sidestepping facial recognition often isn't possible, said Gideon Christian, a law professor at the University of Calgary who has written about the legal and societal aspects of facial recognition technology. AdvertisementThe FTC banned Rite Aid from using facial recognition technology in stores for five years as a result.

Persons: —, Spark, Joy Buolamwini, shoplifters haven't, Gideon Christian, Samuel Levine, Christian Organizations: Service, TSA, Business, MIT Media, New York Times, MIT Technology Review, Walmart, CBP, University of Calgary, FTC, FTC's, Consumer Protection, Rite Aid Locations: India

☆ Instacart, DoorDash, and other delivery service customers say their accounts were deactivated because of innocent mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some customers of Instacart, DoorDash, and other delivery services have had their accounts randomly deactivated. Other delivery customers have similar stories. Instacart's website says that customers' accounts can be deactivated "due to potential fraud or other risks." "In accordance with our Community Guidelines, Instacart can deactivate customer accounts in cases of suspected fraud," an Instacart spokesperson said. AdvertisementDo you work for or use Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery app and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Ryan Ladd, Ladd, rancid, Uber, Instacart Organizations: Service, Costco, Facebook, BI, Walmart Locations: Instacart, Denver , Colorado, South Carolina, Denver

☆ How a single mom with four kids who drives for DoorDash and Walmart Spark struggles to make ends meet: 'It is a never-ending vicious cycle'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Bri, a single mom of four, is struggling to make ends meet driving for DoorDash and Walmart Spark. Bri turned to gig driving after a knee injury made her previous job at an Amazon warehouse untenable. Gig driving with a disabilityBri was a business owner in home healthcare, but once the pandemic struck, she lost access to many of her clients. She was unsure how long Amazon's disability payments would last, and gig driving was one of her only options. She's driving her daughter's car after she wrecked hers a few months ago.

Persons: Bri, —, aren't, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, She's, GrubHub, she's, hasn't, there's, I've Organizations: DoorDash, Walmart, Service, Business, Doordash, Amazon, Down, UPS Locations: Fort Worth , Texas, New York City, Galveston, Texas, bam, DoorDash

☆ The biggest perk of gig work might also be its downfall
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many gig drivers lured by the flexibility of gig work say the flexibility of their job is often limited. AdvertisementMany drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare and delivery apps say they value the flexibility of gig work over any other component. AdvertisementMany part-time drivers have previously told BI they value gig driving for the ease with which they could supplement their core income. Some drivers told her they would work 16-hour overnight shifts on weekends to find higher-paying, better-tipped rides. "Uber and its peers appeal to workers with oodles of promises that workers can hold the power to control their work hours.

Persons: —, Uber, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Avedian, Lyft, Uber hasn't, Lindsey Cameron, Cameron, you've, Laura Katsnelson, Felix Oberholzer, Gee, Katsnelson, Katie Wells, Wells Organizations: Uber, Service, Business, Wharton School, Unit, Harvard Business School, Workers, Georgetown University Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, Los Angeles

☆ Gig workers face a savings crisis for retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementSome gig work services are offering a perk usually associated with traditional jobs: retirement savings accounts with matching contributions. Alexandrea Ravenelle, an assistant professor in sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told BI she would like to see gig workers classified as employees of the platforms, not independent workers. Ravenelle said a better plan would be for companies to extend similar types of retirement benefits to gig workers as employees of those companies enjoy. The Robinhood program also offers gig workers on these platforms access to free financial counseling through GreenPath Financial Wellness, a nonprofit. AdvertisementSergio Avedian, a Los Angeles-based industry advocate for gig workers who drives for an app himself, often encourages gig workers to set aside money for retirement.

Persons: Robinhood, —, Alexandrea, Hill, Ravenelle, Robinhood —, Doordash, Morgan Courtney, Courtney, Taskrabbit, Steve Quirk, they'll, Quirk, Sergio Avedian Organizations: Service, University of North, Financial, Workers Locations: University of North Carolina, Los Angeles, Idaho

☆ China's food delivery gig workers are driving a $208B business, but couriers have it as bad as factory workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. However, the laborers behind the surging industry face conditions similar to those in the country's factories, facing low wages, long hours, and risky, repetitive work, according to numerous reports. Lu, a 19-year-old Meituan delivery driver in Guangzhou, told Nikkei Asia he earned just 7 yuan per delivery, less than a dollar. In the US, delivery drivers average $17.10 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They "know it is impossible to deliver in the time expected by the platform," Tiziano Bonini from the University of Siena, who has been studying gig work in China, told the outlet.

Persons: —, Lu, Meituan, Didi Chuxing, SCMP Organizations: Service, Nikkei Asia, Business, Economic Research, Wired, Bureau of Labor Statistics, China Morning, Ministry of Human Resources, Social Security, University of Siena Locations: China, Guangzhou, Guanzhou, Shanghai

☆ You can now file your taxes directly to the IRS for free — if you live in 1 of these 12 states
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The IRS' much-anticipated free tax filing software is now online. Direct File is in a pilot phase and available for "simple" tax returns for 2023. For now, the tool is limited to taxpayers who lived in one of 12 states last year. The much-anticipated Internal Revenue Service software — aptly named Direct File — opened as of Wednesday in a pilot phase ahead of its wider public launch in mid-March. While it's free to sign up, there is a catch: to file using the tool, taxpayers must have been a resident of one of 12 states for all of 2023 and not have income from any other state.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, aren't Organizations: IRS, Service, Revenue Service, Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire New, Account Locations: Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire, Arizona California Florida Massachusetts Nevada New Hampshire New York South Dakota Tennessee Texas Washington Wyoming, Arizona , California , Massachusetts, New York

☆ Kara Swisher Is Not Here to Make Friends in Her New Memoir
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Adrian Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BURN BOOK: A Tech Love Story, by Kara SwisherPublic opinion has soured so thoroughly on Silicon Valley that it can be hard to comprehend the excitement that surrounded the industry in its early years. How did people miss the threat of concentrated wealth and power, the super-exploitation of gig workers, the commodification of daily life, the pollution of discourse by micro-targeted propaganda and whiny billionaires? A common story holds that we were dazzled by fast-talking entrepreneurs and entranced by the slick platforms and gadgets they served up, deluded into believing digital technology would solve all of our problems. But perhaps the emphasis on user irrationality is overstated. One of the insights to be gleaned from “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story,” a memoir by the veteran technology journalist Kara Swisher, is that those who embraced the internet early on may have been driven by a totally reasonable dissatisfaction with the status quo, as much as a naïve infatuation with the promise of digital utopia.

Persons: Kara Swisher, ”

☆ Hackers are targeting Walmart Spark drivers' accounts and using them to shop for the delivery service, drivers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The problem has popped up in about half a dozen posts in Facebook groups for Spark drivers over the last two weeks. Some legitimate drivers told BI they were kicked off of Spark after trying to verify themselves, for example. Drivers should report any concerns to Spark Driver support so we can look into it further and take the appropriate action." Walmart Spark drivers' identities are at risk. Do you work for Walmart Spark, Instacart, Uber Eats, or another gig delivery service?

Persons: —, Sherry Medellin, she's, hadn't, hasn't, Uber Organizations: Service, Business, Walmart, BI Locations: El Paso , Texas, Medellin, Texas, North Carolina

☆ Gig workers explain how they got their accounts reactivated on Instacart and Uber Eats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gig workers often have their accounts deactivated, even if they've done nothing wrong. Here are the top tips for getting reactivated from people who deliver for Instacart and Uber Eats. But some gig workers have had success getting their accounts — and an income — back. Business Insider spoke with two gig workers who successfully got apps to overturn their deactivations. AdvertisementDo you work for Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, or another gig delivery service?

Persons: Uber, —, Instacart, could've Organizations: Service, Walmart, Companies, Business, Trust, Safety, Instacart Locations: South Dakota, Instacart, Oregon

☆ People really don't want to tip their Uber and Lyft drivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

While nearly 90% of food delivery trips get tips, less than a third of Uber and Lyft trips get tips. That’s according to a new study of over 500,000 US gig drivers from Gridwise , a data analytics company and app that helps drivers track their earnings. The study found that nearly 90% of food delivery trips get a customer tip, compared to 75% of grocery delivery trips and 28% of Uber and Lyft ride-hailing trips. AdvertisementOne explanation for why Americans are more likely to tip food delivery drivers over ride-hailing drivers is that many tip them when their order is placed. In comparison, customers generally tip their Uber and Lyft drivers during or after a ride is completed.

Persons: —, Gridwise, Uber, Lyft Organizations: Uber, Service, Business, Gridwise, Stanford, University of Chicago, Pew Research

☆ Instacart's CEO says that warehouses full of robots won't replace its gig workers anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Don't expect Instacart to replace its gig worker shoppers with robots anytime soon. Instacart CEO Fidji Simo says the company can deliver faster and more efficiently using its human shoppers. That's a contrast with companies like Kroger, which have built warehouses to automate order picking. Kroger has a network of warehouses that it built with British grocer Ocado, where robots and some humans assemble orders, for instance. Human workers still drive to customers' homes to deliver the orders.

Persons: Fidji Simo, —, Kroger, Ocado Organizations: Kroger, Service, Business

Thousands of ride-hailing and delivery workers in the U.S. and the U.K. went on strike on Valentine's Day, calling for higher pay and other changes to their working conditions. In the U.S., Uber and Lyft drivers planned daylong strikes in Chicago; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Miami; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Austin, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island. Drivers were also holding midday demonstrations at airports in those cities, according to Justice for App Workers, the group organizing the effort. Meanwhile, U.K. delivery drivers for Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Stuart said they would turn off their apps and refuse deliveries between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Justice for App Workers, which says it represents 130,000 ride-hailing and delivery workers, is seeking higher wages, access to health care and an appeals process so companies can’t deactivate drivers without warning.

Persons: Uber, Stuart, ”, Evadur Rahman, Rahman, “, ” Rahman, “ It’s, ” Uber, Deliveroo, Rachel Gumpert, Lyft, ” Lyft, Jill Lawless, Brian Melley Organizations: App Workers, Associated Press, deactivations, U.S, ___ Associated Press Locations: U.S, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami, Orlando, Tampa , Florida, Hartford , Connecticut, Newark , New Jersey, Austin , Texas, Providence , Rhode Island, London, ___

☆ An Uber and Lyft driver strike may force you to find another way home from the airport on Valentine's Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Uber and Lyft drivers are planning a midday strike at some US airports on Wednesday. It's part of a broader strike to draw attention to gig workers' pay and issues like deactivations. AdvertisementGood luck if you're hoping to get an Uber or Lyft on your way home from the airport on Valentine's Day. "These types of events have rarely had any impact on trips, prices, or driver availability, and we expect the same tomorrow," an Uber spokesperson told Business Insider. It's also common for gig workers to have their accounts deactivated without explanation by the companies they work for.

Persons: Chicago's, —, Lyft, DoorDash Organizations: Newark Liberty, Chicago's O'Hare, Service, App Workers, Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago's, Uber, Walmart Locations: New York City, Austin , Texas, Hartford , Connecticut, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Providence , Rhode Island, Tampa , Florida, New York, Seattle

☆ Bots are some DoorDash and Walmart Spark delivery gig workers' dirty secret
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Frustrated by falling pay and intensifying competition on delivery apps, some gig workers are turning to "bots" — apps and other programs that claim to help them optimize their earnings. AdvertisementBots can "negatively impact other drivers"Using a bot violates the delivery apps' terms for workers, the companies told Business Insider. One called "Spark Ninjas" supposedly captures orders automatically on Walmart's Spark delivery platform. Bots appear to be just one way that some gig workers are improving their earnings. Do you work for a gig delivery app like Instacart, DoorDash, or Walmart Spark and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, I'm, DoorDash, Para, illicitly, Sharell, Barshishat, there's, Spark Organizations: Service, DoorDash, Business, Indiana, Uber, New York Times, Walmart, Nike, Facebook, BI Locations: Indiana, DoorDash, Para, Texas

☆ Indonesia election: Young voters will decide the country’s future, here’s what they care about
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rachel Wilson | Rosa Deacostanoya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

With a majority of the electorate under 40 years of age, the candidates are all vying for young voters to claim victory. On the ground, young voters are struggling to find jobs that suit their aspirations.” Yoes Kenawas, doctoral candidate at Northwestern UniversityIn addition to these economic concerns, more young voters also now worry about climate change. The social media battlegroundNearly 80% of people in Indonesia are connected to the internet and people aged 16 to 64 spend an average of more than three hours a day on social media, according to the We Are Social 2023 Digital Report, which provides global social media insights. Wednesday’s results will potentially offer a verdict on how effective social media campaigns have been in addressing young voters’ worries. There is a concern that young voters could get trapped in “a political campaign that is relying on gimmicks,” Kenawas said.

Persons: Indonesia’s, Joko Widodo, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, — Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Raka, Widodo’s, Subianto, Abigail Limuria, Bijak, ” Abigail Limuria, ”, Yoes Kenawas, ” Yoes Kenawas, Instagram, Kenawas, Muhaimin Iskandar, Mahfud, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Subianto’s, Widodo, He’s, he’s, ’, ” Kenawas Organizations: CNN, Indonesia, Indonesian Defense, CNN Indonesia, Center for Strategic, International Studies, International Labour Organization, Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency, Northwestern University, “, CSIS, Widodo Locations: Central Java, Jakarta, Swiss, Indonesia, policymaking, CNN Indonesia

☆ Walmart offered to pay Spark drivers as little as 52 cents per order after a 'temporary' app issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart offered some Spark drivers as little as 52 cents to deliver orders to customers' homes. AdvertisementWalmart offered to pay some Spark delivery drivers as little as 52 cents to deliver groceries and other merchandise from its stores to customers' doorsteps after "a temporary issue" in its app. A screenshot from the Spark app shows an offer that pays 52 cents. But some Spark drivers have reported being shut out by the feature despite using accounts in their own names. Do you work for Walmart Spark, Instacart, DoorDash, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Business, Pay, Georgia Spark Locations: Texas, New Mexico, Georgia

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