Gigmindset Audiobook Now Available, Uber Pays Back Taxes, Tik Tok Creators Unionize, and More...

Approximately 60 million independent workers in the United States represent $1.5 trillion in U.S. GDP and growing. Projections estimate that 50% of our U.S. workforce will be independent workers by 2025- 2030. The Gig Economy represents a trend that will digitally transform the future of work.

I believe that?every organization?in?every industry?needs a Gig Economy strategy. Not having one is like missing the internet trend in 1990 or the mobile revolution in 2010.

GigMindset Audio Book now available!

Join the thousands of people who have read the Gig Mindset to learn about the impact of the Gig Economy. Click HERE to get the Audio Book and enjoy!

?The Freelance Revolution

The rise of independent contractors and the globalization of knowledge work is the Industrial Revolution of our time. We can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massive structural change everywhere we look.

Maine Lobster Union Points the Way for Organizing Gig Economy Workers?-?Lobstering is an inherently individualistic pursuit. Two or three people crew most boats, and some captains go it alone. They leave the harbor before dawn, spend the day hauling traps up from the seafloor, then motor back to the dock to sell the creatures for the best price they can get. Hard work draws rugged, self-reliant people—in other words, not your typical union members.

Uber Paying $100 Million In Back Taxes Is A Positive Sign For Gig Workers?-?The arrival of the gig economy placed a renewed emphasis on the problem of?worker misclassification. This usually refers to employers classifying employees improperly as independent contractors. There are various reasons why an employer might do this, but one common reason is to save money on payroll and employment taxes, like state unemployment. But companies who claim their workers are independent contractors don't always get away with not paying their fair share of payroll taxes, as we recently saw in New Jersey with Uber Technologies Inc. and Raiser LLC.

The State of Gig Work in 2021?-?Nontraditional, short-term, and contract work?existed before?the internet and smartphones. Still, the gig economy has ushered in a new way of connecting people with consumers and those who want to hire them. Indeed, the?emergence of companies?like Uber, TaskRabbit, and DoorDash has expanded how people earn money and add another dimension to the labor force.

FTC Issues Policy Statement on Gig Work?-?On September 15, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued a Policy Statement on Enforcement Related to Gig Work (the "Policy Statement"). The agency's press?release?states: "American workers deserve fair, honest, and competitive labor markets. Over the past decade, internet-enabled "gig" companies have grown exponentially, and gig works now compose a significant part of the United States economy.?

The Creator Economy?

The Creator Economy is like the sharing and gig economies in 2012-2015 that ushered in an explosion of creativity driven by individuals, technology platforms, and hype. All are guided by the dream of making a living by doing what you love. At over $100B+, the creator economy is just getting started.

The Right Sound Can Make or Break Your Content, So Here's How to Find Trending Sounds on TikTok?-??TikTok is a genuinely versatile social media platform—besides popular dance videos, there are opportunities to get caught up on current events, go down rabbit holes of coverage for the most random content, find?new recipes?and check out what's going viral. That leads us to trending TikTok sounds!

How digital content creators are reshaping brand strategies?-?Welcome to the age of the digital content creator. Today, over?50 million people?on social media identify as content creators. As the creator economy continues to mature and expand, it's changing what it means to be a social media manager and pushing brands to rethink how social plays into their overall business strategy.

TikTok Creators Are Angling for a Union. Labor Experts Predict an Uphill Battle?-?Earlier this month, Business Insider?reported?that a group of around 75 TikTok creators formed a private Discord server to discuss the potential of creating a union. Led by?Forrest Valkai, a science TikToker with 1.4 million followers, the group's main gripe included their lack of stability. "We're professional creators," Valkai?told Insider. "How hard would you work for a company that doesn't pay you and where you can be fired and dropped for no reason?"

The Changing Workplace

We see unprecedented numbers of companies implementing remote work programs. How we work has forever changed and requires new skills and leadership approaches.

'Great resignation'? 'Quiet quitting'? If you're surprised by America's anti-work movement, maybe you need to watch more movies?- During what some have termed the "Great Resignation," many Americans changed careers, quit bad jobs, or refocused on life away from work. More recently, the trend of "quiet quitting," or doing only what one is paid for, has blown up on social media. The phrase is a bit misleading, as one does not quit one's job. Instead, workers refuse to hustle in the workplace, especially since going "above and beyond" often means working for free.

21 in-demand remote jobs that pay more than $100,000 per year—and where to find them?- The return-to-office surge might be picking up steam across the U.S., but the?remote job market?remains strong. According to?Ladders, 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, and the number of remote job opportunities will continue to rise through 2023.?

4 Myths About In-Person Work, Dispelled?- The ability to work remotely has become more valued than ever before, and that's not going away, particularly among younger workers. Even in organizations that remain committed to offering employees significant remote or hybrid work, leaders often desire to foster togetherness with a return to in-person learning events. But as learning professionals, the authors hear many myths about what in-person learning — or in-person experiences more generally — can achieve. Here, they'll dispel the ones they hear most often and show you how to maximize connection from in-person learning events.

U.S. White-Collar Remote Workers May Lose Their Jobs As Companies Hire Globally To Cut Costs?- Remote workers may be at risk. Working from home became the norm during the pandemic. As the economy reopened, people demanded to continue working remotely, as it offers a better work-life balance. When micromanaging bosses called for staff to return to the office, workers pointed out the success of remote work. Productivity was high, the economy held up well, stocks were flying, and plenty of jobs were available. By all accounts, employees worked weekends for longer hours during the week.

Wellness?

We will spend one-third of our lives working, and the disruption to how we work has never moved faster. This can impact our overall wellness as we navigate the changing landscape and fight for balance.

?Talking About Burnout Is Still Taboo at Work?- One of the most telling signs that the U.S. is experiencing?a burnout crisis?may be the fact that Google searches for "burnout symptoms" hit an all-time high in May 2022, as we weathered the third year of the pandemic while facing the prospect of a faltering economy.

PAUL ESTES, founder of XpertLinkAI and the best-selling author of the best-selling book Gig Mindset, is an unstoppable advocate for the simple idea of ensuring that all voices are heard and that all people have access to opportunity. This passion is inspired by the quote from the late?Leila Janah?"Talent?is equally distributed,?opportunity is not."?Now is the time to address systemic?location bias?and encourage companies to reach beyond their organizational boundaries to engage the world's best minds.??For 20 years, He struggled to balance his life with fast-moving leadership roles at Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft. He led a team of progressive H.R., procurement, and legal trailblazers to launch Microsoft's Gig Economy freelance program. Hiring his first virtual assistant transformed the way he lived and worked.

?Paul is the former host of the Gig Mindset and?Talent Economy podcasts. Each week, Paul provides insights and perspective to over 100,000 readers of his weekly LinkedIn newsletter, and he frequently shares his insights as a keynote speaker and panelist.