Society & Culture

The Precariat

How the Gig Economy Is Creating a New Class of Workers Without Rights or Security

Kwame Asante

Labor sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, studying the gig economy, worker classification, and the future of labor rights.

February 28, 2026·9 min read

The Precariat

The gig economy has created millions of jobs and given workers unprecedented flexibility. It has also created a new class of workers — the precariat — who lack the benefits, protections, and security of traditional employment. The legal battles over worker classification are reshaping labor law and the future of work.

TOPICS

gig economylabor rightsinequalityworktechnology

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