A new report forecasting that India can create millions more jobs over the coming years in the gig economy underscores a fundamental shift in the nature of work. While automation swept through factory floors and BPOs reduced manpower requirements, e-commerce, ride hailing and food delivery apps, streaming media and fintech have created lakhs of temporary jobs in the services sector. Although the jury is still out on the quality of life accorded by such gigs and the social security benefits they accord, recall that informalisation of jobs started much earlier. The report by Boston Consulting Group and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation predicts 90 million flexi and gig jobs in a decade from 8 million now, contributing transactions valued at more than $250 billion and an additional 1.25% to India’s GDP. Obviously, technological evolutions are hard to predict. A decade ago, few, if any, had divined these new jobs. Accepting change as the sole constant, it is equally critical to create the socio-economic framework that can support such jobs.
Expecting startups fuelled by venture capital and presently unprofitable to treat gig workers as regular employees isn’t practical. Such moves could impede innovation and investment. But if central and state governments could deliver in areas like public health, education, insurance and food security, anxieties generated by unsteady, irregular unemployment can be managed better. Last year’s nationwide lockdown when the suddenly unemployed migrant workers panicked and bolted, untrusting the promises of governments to care for them, served out this lesson in poignant detail. The gig economy does promise flexibility and improved choices for many women and part time workers. Every technological revolution till date has effaced some jobs and created plentiful others. There is room for optimism in the rapidly emerging tech-mediated world, but only upon strengthening the support of educational and health infrastructure.
According to the passage, which of the following comes as a concern related to gig economy?
Correct Answer :
The quality of life and the social security.
Solution :
The correct option is: The quality of life and the social security.
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Analyze the Question:
The question asks to identify a concern related to the gig economy based strictly on the provided passage.
2. Locate Relevant Information in the Text:
In the first paragraph, the passage mentions:
"Although the jury is still out on the quality of life accorded by such gigs and the social security benefits they accord, recall that informalisation of jobs started much earlier."
3. Evaluate the Options:
• Option 1 ("Lack of educational and health infrastructure."): The passage mentions strengthening educational and health infrastructure as a necessary support system for the tech-mediated world, but does not list it directly as a inherent concern *of* the gig jobs themselves.
• Option 2 ("Temporary nature of work."): While the passage notes that gig work involves temporary/flexible jobs, the explicit concern raised about the nature of these jobs pertains to what they offer in terms of living standards and security benefits.
• Option 3 ("The quality of life and the social security."): This directly aligns with the passage's explicit reference to uncertainty regarding the quality of life and social security benefits provided by gig economy jobs.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the concern specifically highlighted regarding gig jobs in the text is "The quality of life and the social security."
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