The gig work revolution isn’t here (yet), why we’re all bad multitaskers, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

While some predicted a freelance work revolution, for now, gig work seems to be more like a temp side-hustle. The majority of U.S. sharing economy workers, like Uber drivers and TaskRabbits, only do such work one to three months a year, according to a report from the JP Morgan Chase Institute. And as the size of the gig workforce balloons, take home pay has plummeted. Ride hailing drivers earn around half as much as they did five years ago, the Associated Press reports. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The results are in: We’re all pretty terrible multitaskers. Despite stereotypes that women are more proficient at it than men, researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have found that both genders are bad multitaskers. The researchers had groups of adult men and women attempt serial multitasking, the most common type, where we hop from one thing to the next and back again. Both genders struggled equally. In general, multitasking leads to cognitive fatigue, making us worse at whatever we’re doing and slowing us down. ? Here’s what people are saying.

An employment problem hiding in plain sight

The unemployment rates in the U.S. and several parts of Europe have reached fresh lows, but Bloomberg’s Leonid Bershidsky highlights research that shows that these rosy figures aren’t giving us the full picture. Underemployment is on the rise, with many workers unable to find quality jobs that offer enough hours. The trend may help explain the slow wage growth we have seen in recent years. ? Here’s what people are saying.

You Asked: “What is the best way to get the business community, recruiters, and hiring managers to give equal consideration to ‘seasoned’ workers? Why is it so difficult for ‘seasoned’ workers to find not just opportunities, but legitimate consideration?” — Scott Crowhurst

• “Older workers (and workers fighting any type of “ism”) make their best case when they make the business case. Try this: The more age diverse teams are, the better they perform and the better they connect with audiences and customers. Experienced workers should make sure to show a willingness to learn and mentor, and should open the door for others whenever employers show they value diversity of all kinds. Yes, ageism is alive and well, but thankfully ideas about the need for more age-diverse workplaces are beginning to gain traction.” — Marci Alboher, vice president at Encore.org and author of “The Encore Career Handbook”

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

A simple first step to become a better listener? Breathing. Many of us can’t help ourselves but jump into a conversation, offering our pearls of wisdom to anyone willing to listen. Psychologist Kenneth Miller says we should take a breather instead. When we breathe before speaking, we give others room to reflect on what they have been saying. It’s an act of generosity. That extra breath also gives us time to think of insightful questions that might truly help the people we are speaking with. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  When we’re in crisis mode, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the many things that are out of our hands. But former GE chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt writes that it’s essential to remember the key elements that are still within our bounds.

“Business, like life, is filled with tough moments that aren’t on anybody’s calendar. Even as we are beset by events that are beyond our control, we can still control two things: our own attitudes and the way we treat others. We can persevere.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster