For more than a decade , many industries have gradually shifted from hiring full-time employees in favor of contract workers. Whether by choice or necessity, many individuals work full-time in the “gig economy” — a labor market facilitated by online job boards advertising project-based or contract work — by stringing together multiple gigs to support themselves and their families. If you’re considering gig work, start by understanding which areas pay the most, require minimal startup costs, have relatively few expenses, and can be performed from anywhere. Consider these fields: Freelance Writing While it can take some time to make a consistent income, established writers can make as much as $30 an hour . You can work for an agency that specializes in producing content for other companies or individuals. Opt for quality over quantity at first until you can confidently produce high-quality content as per the company’s standards more quickly to find success on these platforms. You can...

For those who are interested in setting their own work hours, having control of their pay, and like meeting new people, become a driver with the popular ride-sharing company, Uber, is always a great option. Uber is one of the largest rideshare companies in the world, with thousands of contractors driving for them across the country. In this article, we will show you how much Uber drivers are making hourly as well as walk you through ways in which their earnings are being calculated. As is common with rideshare companies, the work schedule varies considerably for each driver, so it is hard to say specifically what a driver’s net income will be. There are also a number of factors that go into how much a driver takes home. First, there’s the standard trip fare which consists of the base fare in addition to how long and how far your trip is. The rate per minute and per mile varies from city to city. The standard fare is higher for Uber XL, Uber Black, and Uber SUV drivers. When rider...

Uber and Lyft drivers, along with a list of other gig workers in California, may have something to cheer about now that a new law has passed to give contract workers more protections. The California state Assembly passed AB5, a bill that would require status changes to contract workers to complete essential tasks for companies. The law is also set to impact exotic dancers and manicurists; however, hairstylists, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and financial advisers will be exempt from the rules because they work as true independent workers under their own companies, according to Vox. Under AB5, companies can only label workers as contractors if the worker: (a) is free from the company’s control, (b) is doing work that isn’t central to the company’s business, and (c) has an independent business in that industry. If they don’t meet all three of those conditions, then they have to be classified as employees. Misclassification of workers has helped major companies save money for...