Contact Us
Click here

Gigs That Give: How App-Based Platforms Strengthen the Labor Market

The Flex Association commissioned PPG to examine whether app-based delivery and rideshare work opportunities act as a complement to traditional government safety net programs — in particular, unemployment insurance — and to quantify the resulting savings for U.S. taxpayers.

Published by
Pragmatic Policy Group LLC

Independent economic research & policy analysis.

Commissioned by
GrowSF

Civic advocacy for San Francisco’s future.

Flex Association
Download Full Report
Contents
Key findings at a glance
  • 1 in 3 people on these platforms had been laid off from a traditional job and now replace some or all of that lost income through app-based earnings.
  • Among households hit by a layoff, 1 in 2 credit app-based work directly for reducing or eliminating their reliance on government benefits.
  • Taxpayers benefit from $10.5–15.1 billion in fiscal savings over ten years due to reduced reliance of app-based workers on unemployment insurance.
  • This amounts to $0.92–1.3 billion per year in taxpayer savings, or $3,500–4,100 per unemployment insurance recipient.
  • 1 in 3 app-based workers turn to this flexible work because caregiving or family obligations mean they can’t work a traditional job schedule.
  • 72% feel more financially secure because of app-based work.
  • 61% say they prefer to earn their own income even if government benefits are available.
  • 86% of those who have debt say app-based work has improved their ability to repay that debt.

Economic & Fiscal Impact Assessment

Measuring the Economic Value of App-Based Work

To estimate those savings, we combined an original national survey of around 1,200 app-based workers with proprietary data from five of the largest U.S. app-based platforms, government datasets, and a complete review of the academic literature.

1,200

Workers Surveyed

5

Platform Datasets

$10.5–15.1B

Fiscal Savings

$0.92–1.3B

Annual Savings

72%

Financial Security

86%

Debt Repayment

Related Case Studies

  • Case Studies, Gig Economy, Labor Market, Technology
Economic Empowerment in Marginalized Communities
  • Case Studies, Labor Market, Technology
Mapping the Economic Footprint of the U.S. Cryptocurrency Industry
National Cryptocurrency Association
  • Case Studies, Fiscal, Labor Market, Tax
Economic Impact of Increasing San Francisco’s Overpaid Executive Tax
Grow SF . SFC
  • Case Studies, Gig Economy, Labor Market, Technology
Kazakhstan App-Based Delivery Work
Wolt
View All PPG Research
View All PPG Research
Book A Consultation
Book A Consultation