End of Covid Safety Net Sends Gig Workers Back to Square One (1)

It took a pandemic for America’s army of gig workers to win access to some of the social protections that regular employees enjoy. Now they’re about to lose it again.

Even before Covid-19 hit, the independent-contract model for workers was spreading, with companies turning to it as a way to lower costs. The health crisis accelerated that trend, and spurred policy makers to offer financial support for freelancers when much of the economy was shuttered.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was the first federal-level program geared toward so-called independent workers. It’s now being wound down, leaving the Biden administration struggling to ...