Recent reports on the “gig economy” create an impression that a dizzying mix of technological and competitive forces is fundamentally reworking the landscape of employment in the United States. A central aspect of this change is the perceived rise of independent contracting as an alternative to the conventional employer-employee relationship. However, even quantifying whether and...

It is challenging for governments to determine the appropriate regulation for these new models of service delivery, to protect customers, provide a level playing field for all industry participants and encourage innovation. In determining its response to these changes, the Queensland Government established the Opportunities for Personalised Transport (OPT) Review – to explore reform options...

By the beginning of 2013, five years since the onset of the recession, there had been a loss of around seven million jobs across the European Union. On average, one in ten people were left without work, with countries such as Spain and Greece facing much higher unemployment rates. Yet one part of the labour...

The discussion here is intended to serve as an introduction to the issues and policy options surrounding the patchwork economy, and the need for a new social contract. Much work remains on each of these questions, but the choices we make over the next few years may shape the terms of work and family life...

The rise of the sharing economy can save Australians more than $500 million on taxi bills, help them to put underused property and other assets to work, and increase employment and income for people on the fringe of the job market. The prize for getting this new online economy right is large and governments should...