For Curtis Larson, a twenty-four-year-old college graduate living in New York City, the gig economy worked. When he quit a salaried job as a computer programmer to become a full-time freelancer on an online platform called Gigster, he soon made as much—about $10,000 to $12,000 per month—as he had in his previous job. Curtis had newfound freedom with his schedule, like going to the gym in the middle of the day, the chance to hone new technical skills, and relief from the everyday office politics of his old job. The risks that he took on were mitigated by a remarkable amount of due diligence: he had saved a year’s worth of expenses, consulted an accountant about increased taxes, planned retirement savings on a spreadsheet, and found a health insurance plan that would not deplete his savings. After two years as an independent contractor in the gig economy, Curtis was offered...

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