Upwork survey shows 60 million Americans already doing gig work as com

A recent survey from Upwork reveals that 60 million Americans, or 39% of the country's workforce, are now engaged in freelance or gig work. Sociologists warn that the rapid integration of artificial intelligence is enabling corporate employers to systematically dismantle full-time, benefited employment.

The shift is illustrated by fintech giant Klarna, which cut customer service staff in 2024 to deploy an AI chatbot. After customer service quality degraded, Klarna quietly recruited humans back under an "Uber-style" gig setup to handle complex queries, avoiding hiring full-time employees.

Human Rights Watch co-author Lena Simet warns that this "gigification" is spreading to nursing and white-collar desk roles. Without policy intervention, economists expect the gig economy to reach 86 million workers by 2027, leaving half of the US workforce without basic workplace protections.