Gig economy

I am looking into Instacart to deliver groceries to me from a local Costco. I'm having mixed feelings about gig economy jobs. I read about the Instacart employers from the worker's point of view and some of the ways Instacart has, in the past, arranged payment does not seem fair to the gig workers who assemble and then deliver grocery orders.

On the plus side, gig jobs are a matter of choice, a way to supplement income without tying oneself to a permanent second job. But the Instacart workers use their own vehicles and gas, and while reviews of reports by them indicate some do extremely well, others barely cover their expenses.

I think gig jobs definitely contribute to statistics that indicate a high percentage of employment here in the U.S. But I see many people and families continue to struggle to make ends meet. There are no easy answers, and I don't think more government control of this sort of employment is appropriate, because in the face of that sort of control some companies will simply choose to not use gig workers.