Such businesses are often referred to as the “gig economy”, a term that summons up images of groovy, footloose, free-spirited work. For others the gig economy is a trap – a poverty trap. The gig economy includes some big names and has drawn in major investment; Hermes commands a fleet of 10,500 couriers such as Mr Jamieson. Many of these were not would-be Richard Bransons and Alan Sugars – they were going off into the gig economy. Against that backdrop, this week’s report into the gig economy by Frank Field is to be welcomed.

Source: The Guardian September 13, 2016 19:07 UTC