Forty percent of U.S. workers make a large part of their income from the gig economy, which is driving new opportunities in communities across the country. People are using technology to work independently on their schedule, start and run their own businesses, and use their property, time, and talents to make money and provide for their families. See how in this week’s Tech At Work.
Getaround Helping People Without a Car Make Money Through Uber
Getaround has partnered with Uber to help people without a car make money on their own schedule. People can now book a Getaround car by the hour and earn money while picking up Uber riders or delivering Uber Eats orders. Through the Getaround app, users can tap Drive with Uber to see nearby locations of Uber-eligible vehicles to rent on a map.
Etsy Helps Drive the Year of the Great Renewal for Creative Entrepreneurs
Etsy released its 2021 Global Seller Census that shows who Etsy sellers are, what moves them to open and run their shops, and the impact their small businesses have in driving local economic development. The report shows most Etsy sellers are women, run a one-person business out of their home, and started their businesses for financial stability. The report also shows Etsy sellers contributed $14.3 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021.
Instacart Launches New Platform to Help Retailers
Instacart launched the Instacart Platform to further enable the digital transformation of grocery stores. The platform gives retailers access to the technologies behind Instacart’s consumer marketplace to power their own digital properties and retail operations. The platform will help retailers improve the consumer experience online and in stores.
Shipt Helping Ease the Burden of High Gas Prices for Shoppers
Shipt has invested in and rolled out a number of actions to provide relief at the pump for Shipt Shoppers. Shipt is helping Shoppers get at least 35 cents per gallon cash back in the coming weeks through their Shopper Perks program. Shipt is also rewarding its business Shoppers with a one-time fill-up bonus of $35-150 and is reminding customers about tipping to help Shoppers during these times.
Airbnb Survey Shows More People Taking Advantage of Workplace Flexibility
A new survey from Airbnb shows that more people are open to living anywhere, especially those who are part of the Black and Hispanic communities. The survey found more than 50 percent of Black and Hispanic professionals reported they were more likely to live and work in different cities or towns than they were a year ago. Finding inspiring locations and connecting with new people were the top reasons these professionals desire to live and work somewhere new.
Snagajob Accelerates the Hiring Process and Gives Hourly Workers Greater Involvement in Scheduling
Snagajob has two new offerings to help hourly workers gain more leverage and opportunities in the labor market. Direct-to-Interview and Easy Apply are new tools that create a single online resume followed by a list of well-matched jobs based on the skills of each person. That gives applicants control to easily apply for jobs, move directly to the interview phase, and select interview times that work best for their schedule.
Turo Committed to Facilitating a More Inclusive Peer-to-Peer Marketplace
Uber Partners with Taxi Companies in New York City
DoorDash: Alcohol Delivery Boosts Dasher Earnings, Provides New Revenues for Merchants
Lyft Announces Partnership to Offer Scooter Rentals in its App
Grubhub Announces $20,000 Grants to 20 Drivers Who Are Helping Their Communities
What’s New in Tech
Google to Invest $9.5 billion in the U.S. in 2022
Google is investing approximately $9.5 billion in offices and data centers across the U.S. this year. This will create at least 12,000 new full-time jobs by the end of the year. Over the past five years, Google has invested more than $37 billion in offices and data centers in 26 states, creating over 40,000 full-time jobs. The company also invested more than $40 billion in research and development in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021.
What We’re Saying
TechNet Sends Letter to Congress on Key Provisions to Address During the Reconciliation Process for USICA and the America COMPETES Act
Before You Start Your Weekend
What if we could reuse plastic infinitely? Honeywell’s new technology is making it possible. Watch as Honeywell explains how it has the ability to recycle over 90 percent of all the plastics in the world.
Watch here.