San Francisco created a “Gig Taskforce” to interface with workers in the gig workforce and other thought leaders to provide administrative and policy recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the mayor.

“The ‘Gig Economy’ is a growing part of our workforce in San Francisco, and I believe we need to get in front of the issue and understand all of the implications for our City,” said Supervisor Mark Farrell. “Long gone are the days of working for a single company for 40 years before retiring — our workforce is more nimble than ever before, and our policies should reflect this changing reality.”

An economic report on the gig economy and workforce in San Francisco released by Farrell on Tuesday indicates the use of online platforms and the gig economy is growing rapidly in the city. Data in Farrell’s report suggests that approximately 5% of San Francisco residents generate some source of income from the gig economy. For example, Lyft reported a 450% growth in the number of San Francisco residents applying to drive for the company between the end of 2013 and June 2016.

Data from the report suggests that the gig economy is capturing a share of people who are already self-employed, and is not yet expanding the total amount of self-employed workers, according to Farrell. Current available data suggests that in many cases online platforms supplement, rather than replace, existing sources of income, such as wages, he said.

“As a city, I believe we need to explore how 20th century work standards for workers change and evolve in a 21st century economy,” said Farrell. “I believe the role of our government should never be to stifle innovation, but react appropriately to make sure we are still able to deliver the core services our residents expect and deserve. Understanding short-term and long-term employment trends are part of that equation.”