Survey: Gig workers filing for benefits at a high rate

Denver’s gig workers are obtaining unemployment benefits at some of the highest rates in the country, according to a survey from Wonolo, an on-demand staffing service based in San Francisco.

Wonolo surveyed 3,000 gig workers in the first half of May and found that about one in four had applied for unemployment benefits, which is allowed under the CARES Act. Only half of those who applied, however, obtained benefits. In Denver, gig workers who filed had a 78% success rate, the highest out of a dozen locations tracked.

Wonolo spokesman Jared Favole said age variations don’t explain the difference, given that the 330 people surveyed in Denver were similar in age to the overall sample.

“There must

be

something inherent in the way Denver/the state is approaching dispersing these benefits,” Favole said.

The Colorado Department of Labor launched a new platform to handle unemployment claims from contract workers, as well as a call center dedicated to them. After some initial hiccups in separating out workers who also had wage income, the platform appears to be working, if the survey results are accurate.

Younger workers were more likely to cite fears about coming down with COVID-19 as a reason for not returning to work. Nationally, about 42% of gig workers ages 18 to 24 mentioned that concern, the highest of any age group. Only 25% of those 55 and older expressed being fearful, even though they face a much higher mortality rate if infected.