Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich told BuzzFeed News that the gig economy is bad for workers because of low wages and unpredictability. “The new blue-collar workers are gig-economy workers. If you define gig economy broadly to include part-timers, the self-employed, independent contractors, freelancers and temps, they’re on a downward escalator,” BuzzFeed quotes Reich. Possible solutions that could help include income insurance and portable benefits.