Between 2012 and 2014, the Phoenix area saw 21 percent growth in payroll jobs in ground transportation industries, like taxis. Over that same time, the region saw growth of more than 75 percent in so-called gig employment, like Uber and Lyft.
The numbers from the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution show similar relative growth for the Valley in the traveler accommodation sector.
To help sort through what that means, we speak to Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program. He mentions that the Phoenix area appears to be an early adopter of gig-type jobs, and, in fact, his numbers show the Valley’s growth in gig jobs is outpacing the national average.
To get a sense of what kind of impact this might have on workers here, we speak with Rebekah Friend, the executive director and secretary-treasurer of the Arizona AFL-CIO.
