Uber, Airbnb and the gig economy appear destined to be a policy issue leading up to the 2016 presidential campaign.
In her first economic policy address as a 2016 presidential candidate Monday morning, Hillary Clinton took on the gig economy epitomized by companies such as Uber.
According to CNBC, Clinton said:
Many Americans are making extra money renting out a spare room, designing a website … even driving their own car. This on-demand or so called gig economy is creating exciting opportunities and unleashing innovation, but it s also raising hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future.
I ll crack down on bosses who exploit employees by misclassifying them as contractors or even steal their wages, she said, according to Mashable. The speech was held at the New School in Manhattan.
She did not call out any company by name, nor did she say how policy makers should tackle the rise of on-demand firms, reported Mashable.
Jeremiah Owyang, analyst and founder of Silicon Valley-based Crowd Companies, which focuses on the collaborative economy, told CNBC that Uber and the on-demand economy will be a campaign issue:
In 2008, it was all about Joe the Plumber. In 2016, it will likely be Carl the Uber driver.
Her speech prompted at least one commentator, John Kartch in Forbes, to demand, Hillary, Leave The Sharing Economy Alone.
Above: Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
