(SPONSORED CONTENT) Consumers of on-demand services and the gig workers who provide them find connecting easy with today's technology.
“Consumers and workers alike now use online technology and apps to contract for specific, on-demand services such as cleaning, handiwork, shopping, cooking, driving, and landscaping,” economic-policy group the Hamilton Project states on its website. “The emergence of the online gig economy has increased policy interest in the issue of contingent work arrangements, which broadly include independent contractors as well as part-time, temporary, seasonal, or subcontracted workers.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there's no official definition of the the "gig economy," but describes a "gig" as "a single project or task for which a worker is hired, often through a digital marketplace, to work on demand."
Uber driver Julius Moldvan says working for the ride-hailing company has gone from initial curiosity to a five-year gig for the New Jersey resident.
“It’s just something I saw on the TV an advertisement for and I said well, one of two things; it can either work out or it can’t, you know. I’ve been there five years now," Moldvan told New Jersey Business Daily.
Uber does its part to make going to work for the ride-hailing company as easy as possible for prospective drivers. Anyone can go to the company website or app and apply to be a driver by creating an account and going through the process.
Moldvan said he had added motivation for joining Uber beyond curiosity and the easy application process. It's a motivation common to many part-time gig workers, studies have shown.
"Because my normal nine-to-five job is I work for UPS full-time," he said. "So, for me, Uber was just going to be like a part-time gig anyway, just to make extra money and pay off things I needed to pay off. "
The first Uber user requested a ride using the app on July 5, 2010 in San Francisco, the company reports on its website. The next year, the service went global with rides being offered in Paris.
Since then, Uber has launched additional services, including allowing riders headed in the same direction to share a ride and the cost; Uber Eats food delivery; Uber Freights, connecting trucking companies and their drivers directly with shippers; and Uber Health, which allows healthcare partners to schedule rides for patients, caregivers and staff.