WI25-06: The Alternative Safety Net: Gig Employment and Social Program Participation

This study investigates how the rise of gig employment—through platforms like Uber—affects participation in U.S. social welfare programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid. The ability to access flexible, on-demand jobs through gig work provides a form of private “self-insurance” against economic shocks. The study seeks to explore whether this self-insurance through gig work complements or replaces reliance on traditional public social insurance programs. The project aims to answer three key questions: How does access to gig work impact reliance on welfare programs like SSI and SSDI? Does the relationship between gig work and welfare participation change with economic conditions? And finally, does access to gig work improve the economic security of individuals, particularly those eligible for SSA benefits? The findings of this research will provide new evidence on why there are disparities in disability and SSI program participation, will shed light on Social Security’s role in economic security, and will show the extent to which employment conditions affect the propensity to work among people with disabilities. The results of this study will help inform policymakers how future changes in the gig economy may affect disability rolls and future social security benefits.