Unproductive Labor

In this episode, we have a conversation with Alex Press, a staff writer at Jacobin magazine who covers a range of topics around labor in the United States, including the gig economy.

We talked about the gig economy, what's at stake for companies in and workers in categorizing workers as employees, contractors, or some new third category, and the divided response from organized labor over gig work.

This is the first episode of Unproductive Labor, a podcast made with support from Public Seminar.

The innovations of the gig economy are not just about technology but change our expectations, and the laws, around what companies owe their workers. This introductory episode of Unproductive Labor will discuss the gig economy, how it may represent the leading edge of the transformation of work, plans for the podcast, and what listeners can expect. The episodes are presented by your hosts, Pete Sinnott and Luke Mergner.