印度的劳动力市场规模庞大，拥有8.25亿人口，但绝大多数劳动力属于非正规就业，超过90%的人不在 正规部门工作，劳动者的平均工资仅为每小时83卢比。 新实施的四项劳动法典涉及工资、劳资关系、社会保障和工人安全。改革整合了29项现有的劳动法，许 多法律可以追溯到20世纪30年代至50年代，其中一些规定早已与21世纪的产业发展脱节。劳工改革势在 必行。 印度莫迪政府在2025年年底推出期待已久的劳工改革。这是该国自1991年经济自由化以来进行的规模最 大的结构性改革。 据悉，从2025年11月21日起，印度将实施四项劳动法典，零工经济、平台经济和聚合商的概念首次被明 确定义。这些改革将对零工和平台工作者、定期雇员和合同工以及妇女和年轻工人产生影响。 关于青年劳动者，该部宣布所有劳动者都将获得最低工资保障。所有劳动者都将获得劳动合同，以促进 社会保障、就业记录和正规就业。禁止雇主剥削劳动者，并强制要求在员工休假期间支付工资。为确保 劳动者享有体面的生活水平，他们将按照中央政府确定的最低工资标准领取工资。 这种转变意味着正规部门可以从监管简化中获益最多，也意在为各行业的劳动者提供更大的保障和公 平。 不过，分析人士指 ...

不过，与其将低薪服务工作视为边缘或例外现象，我更愿意将其理解为工资劳动史中的一个长期而结构 性的形态。 独立承包商这一类别有着悠久的历史，它的发展轨迹与服务行业去监管化、非 安妮·麦克拉纳汉：我不会认为服务业的崛起是以牺牲工业部门为代价的。相反，我认为服务业的兴起 正是发达经济体工业制造业崩溃的结果。从20世纪70年代初开始，制造业就业急剧下滑，所谓的家庭工 资随之消失，政府资助的社会福利也大幅减少。由此，更多的中产阶级及中上阶层白人女性进入了有薪 工作领域，这使得她们不得不依赖非白人女性劳动阶层从事低薪的护理和服务工作。劳动力市场也发生 了变化——大量被去工业化淘汰的劳动力被吸纳进入服务行业。 但服务业的兴起不仅是经济停滞的解 决办法，它本身也是经济停滞的一个原因。正如我之前提到的，服务业和制造业本质上不同：服务业属 于劳动密集型产业，劳动生产率的提升非常缓慢。因此，服务业对整体经济增长的贡献非常有限，这也 正是我们陷入长期衰退的原因之一。 尽管目前80%的劳动力从事服务业，但我们对发达经济体中的资 本主义劳动形态的认知，仍然主要源于制造业时代。我们习惯认为工人是按时薪领取工资的，受严格的 标准化时间控制， ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the challenges faced by young people in finding summer jobs, highlighting a significant misunderstanding of the gig economy and its accessibility for inexperienced workers [1][2]. Gig Economy Landscape - The gig economy in China is experiencing unprecedented growth, with the human resources service market projected to reach 2.8 trillion yuan by 2024, driven by flexible employment (38%), recruitment services (25%), and human resource outsourcing (20%) [3]. - By the end of 2024, the number of flexible workers in China is expected to exceed 265 million, accounting for over 30% of the total employment population, with platform-based gig workers reaching 175 million and an average monthly income of 6,198 yuan [3]. Policy Support - The Chinese government is actively promoting the gig economy, with a policy issued on May 26, 2025, aimed at enhancing public employment services for gig workers and small businesses, breaking down household registration barriers, and integrating gig markets into local service systems [4]. Skill Gap - There is a significant skill gap in the gig economy, with a shortage of skilled gig workers rather than unskilled laborers. In 2023, the demand for skilled laborers reached a shortfall of 20 million, with over 5 million for high-skilled positions [6]. - The demand for skilled labor is expected to grow at an annual rate of 15% over the next five years due to manufacturing upgrades and the expansion of the digital economy [6]. Saturation of Low-Skill Jobs - Low-skill gig jobs, such as delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers, are becoming saturated, with over 10 million delivery riders reported nationwide and a significant increase in the number of workers in the food delivery sector [7]. - The number of registered ride-hailing drivers has surpassed 30 million, but the daily order volume has only increased by 8%, leading to a decline in average daily orders per driver [7]. Summer Job Market - The summer job market reflects the skill gap, with experienced summer workers primarily in traditional sectors like retail (52%) and food service (49%), while inexperienced workers gravitate towards low-barrier jobs like milk tea shop staff [8][9]. - The preference for low-barrier jobs among summer workers is driven by the ease of entry and quick onboarding, despite the associated challenges of lower pay and harsher working conditions [10]. Creative Gig Opportunities - Innovative gig roles are emerging as traditional low-skill jobs become saturated, with young people increasingly turning to creative gigs that combine physical and intellectual efforts, such as pet care and event services [11][14]. - The rise of creative gigs, like pet detectives and event assistants, indicates a shift towards jobs that leverage personal interests and skills, although these roles often lack long-term stability [16][19]. Long-Term Viability of Gig Work - The potential for gig roles to evolve into long-term employment depends on sustained market demand and the establishment of clear career paths within these roles [17][21]. - Creative gigs, while currently in early market stages, show promise for future growth as consumer demand increases, particularly in niche markets like the Hanfu economy [19][25]. Conclusion - The article emphasizes the need for young workers to develop skills that align with market demands, as the gig economy continues to evolve and mature, presenting both challenges and opportunities for sustainable employment [26].

Core Insights - The U.S. gig economy is demonstrating strong profitability, with major platforms Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, and Airbnb collectively generating $4.2 billion in free cash flow, exceeding expectations [1][7] Group 1: Uber - Uber leads the gig economy with a free cash flow of $2.475 billion, a year-on-year increase of 44%, and revenue of $12.7 billion, up 18% [2] - The total bookings for Uber's ride-hailing and delivery services grew by 16% and 20%, respectively, indicating sustained growth in a competitive market [1][2] - Uber's CEO announced a $20 billion stock buyback plan and raised third-quarter booking guidance to between $48.25 billion and $49.75 billion, surpassing analyst expectations [2] Group 2: Lyft - Lyft's revenue for the quarter was $1.59 billion, slightly below expectations, but it reported a free cash flow of $329 million, which is 7% of total bookings, indicating a higher profitability level than Uber [2] - Lyft raised its booking guidance for the quarter to between $4.65 billion and $4.8 billion, significantly above the expected $4.59 billion [3] Group 3: DoorDash - DoorDash reported a revenue increase of 25% to $3.28 billion, exceeding expectations, with a total order volume growth of 20% to 761 million orders [4] - The company's market gross order value (GOV) reached $24.2 billion, up 23% year-on-year, driven by strong performance in the restaurant sector [4] - DoorDash is accelerating its expansion in Europe, preparing for direct competition with Uber [4] Group 4: Airbnb - Airbnb's revenue for the second quarter was $3.1 billion, a 13% increase, and net profit rose 16% to $642 million, surpassing market expectations [5][6] - The company announced a new $6 billion stock buyback plan, reflecting confidence in future business prospects [6] Group 5: Gig Economy Trends - The strong performance of these platforms reflects the deep expansion of the U.S. gig economy, with non-employer businesses growing at an average rate of 2.7% annually from 2012 to 2023, significantly outpacing traditional employer businesses [7] - The transportation and warehousing sectors are key drivers of this growth, with over 200,000 new non-employer businesses established between 2022 and 2023 [7] - Despite some sectors like retail contracting, non-employer businesses contribute approximately $1.8 trillion to GDP, accounting for 6.4% of the U.S. economy [7]