In 2008, the greed of the major banks sent the global economy crashing, taking the livelihoods of millions of people with it. In the years that followed, many of those people were unable to return to the stable, middle-class jobs they previously enjoyed. As they adapted to a more precarious way of life, a new wave of companies emerged to take advantage of their need for additional income: the gig economy.

Companies in the gig economy promised an innovative future where workers would have control over their schedules instead of being micromanaged by a boss, and consumers would have cheap and convenient access to a range of services.

For years, these companies were lavished with positive press, even as it became increasingly clear that what they were offering wasn’t new at all, but was rather part of a long history of capitalist attempts to roll back the rights and protections of workers. As the pandemic plunges us into a new recession, these companies are only growing more brazen.