How the hustle and gig economy is choking the middle class

Low bidding of jobs is squeezing freelancers struggling to get a fair wage for their work.

Local, short-distance rides near his home on the Jersey Shore are convenient for him, but they don't pay well — "You drive all day and you can make $100," says the father of six. Many gig economy workers are part-timers doing freelance work on the side, to supplement paychecks from full-time jobs. There are 15.8-million independent workers who are full-timers, according to The State of Independence in America 2018 report by MBO Partners, which studies the freelance economy.

The Freelancing in America 2018 survey, run by the giant platform Upwork, found that 31% of freelancers earn $75,000 a year or more, up 15 points since 2014. Among respondents who left a traditional job to freelance, 73% said they earn more now freelancing than they did at their prior, traditional job.Julie Ewald, founder of Impressa Solutions, a marketing firm in Milwaukee, got her start as a solo freelancer on Upwork eight years ago.

"Enterprises struggle to attract highly specialized talent for rapidly shifting project needs, especially with the current low unemployment rates," says Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. "This need to find better ways to get work done is creating more opportunities for freelancers with some of the world's biggest brands."

The gig economy has allowed me to record my three highest income years in a row. I never bid a job. That's where these people are messing up. I seek out jobs and never compete on price. Competing on price creates a buyer's market. Don't take the bait.

Because these are not meant to be full time jobs you support your family on.

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