Infrastructure in our cities – let’s call it the hardware – remains much the same as ever, but the software – the way we use it – is transforming rapidly. One piece of that software, Airbnb, is dramatically reshaping the world’s cities. The digital platform allows citizens to find and rent short-term accommodation from other...

To monitor trends in alternative work arrangements, we conducted a version of the Contingent Worker Survey as part of the RAND American Life Panel in late 2015. The findings point to a significant rise in the incidence of alternative work arrangements in the U.S. economy from 2005 to 2015. The percentage of workers engaged in...

As inequality has markedly risen over the past few decades, so has economic volatility. Abundant research demonstrates that both individuals and households have faced much greater instability in income since the 1970s – a trend dubbed by Jacob Hacker as the “Great Risk Shift.” Income insecurity can lead to problems and crises like bad credit...

The growth of the "on-demand" services sector has spurred a vigorous debate on the changing nature of the U.S. economy and the implications for American workers. The “on-demand” economy refers to the growing number of businesses that connect service providers to customers through the assistance of information technology -- particularly “apps” accessible on smart phones.

The current safety net is outdated. It was designed for an economy with one type of job in mind – full-time, 9-to-5 employment – and with high barriers to employment, such as interviews and résumés. But the economy is changing, with new technologies that seamlessly connect willing and able labor to the demand for work.