Side Hustle Safety Net: How Vulnerable Workers Survive Precarious Times

The book Side Hustle Safety Net examines the impact of the pandemic on gig workers, including those in the gig economy, restaurant staff, early-career creatives, and minimum-wage laborers. It reveals the unique challenges they faced and how the CARES Act assistance allowed some to change careers and start businesses. However, gig workers and those involved in "polyemployment" found themselves at the mercy of outdated unemployment systems, vulnerable to scams, and attempting dubious survival strategies, increasing worker precarity with disastrous consequences.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

The impact of the pandemic on gig workers is the subject of a groundbreaking sociological study that reads like a compelling novel. This captivating narrative delves into the lives of the most vulnerable wage earners, including gig workers, restaurant staff, early-career creatives, and minimum-wage laborers, as they navigate the sudden collapse of the economy. In her book titled "Side Hustle Safety Net," Alexandrea J. Ravenelle conducts extensive interviews with nearly two hundred gig-based and precarious workers, capturing their unique experiences during the peak of the pandemic.

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges faced by these workers, shedding light on both the officially unemployed and the "forgotten jobless," a digital-era demographic that turned to side hustles in search of economic stability. It reveals how these individuals fared in unprecedented times, with some finding opportunities for career transformation through CARES Act assistance, while others faced vulnerability to scams and dubious survival strategies.

The book argues that the rise of the gig economy, coupled with underemployment and economic instability, has exacerbated worker precarity, leading to disastrous consequences. It highlights the need for reform and protections to ensure that gig workers are not left behind in the changing labor market landscape.

Through compelling anecdotes and insightful analysis, "Side Hustle Safety Net" provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the impact of the pandemic on gig workers and the broader workforce. It serves as a call to action for policymakers, employers, and society as a whole to address the challenges faced by these workers and work towards creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520387300