An all-female repair business is challenging gender norms in China and catering to a growing population of single women seeking safety and comfort at home. We spoke to Ray Hou, who quit her office job to become a professional handywoman, about what mot…
Tag: Freelancing, Self-Employment and Independent Contracting
The Chinese Influencer Who Made a Career of Lying Flat
For many young Chinese, the relentless pressure to succeed has given way to a new minimalist lifestyle known as lying flat. We followed Tom Jia, a popular influencer who left his demanding job in Shenzhen to travel across China in search of the country…
In China’s Crowded Hospitals, She Found a New Career
As China’s population grows older, a new industry of gig workers is stepping in to help older patients navigate a complex, bureaucratic hospital system. We spent time with Jessica Wang, a 49-year-old mother from Beijing who found steady income and a re…
What It Takes to Get Lunch Delivered to the 70th Floor
An informal network of last-mile runners close the gap between harried delivery drivers and hungry office workers in a Shenzhen skyscraper.
Food Delivery Drivers Feel Strain of Italy’s Ban on Outdoor Work on Hottest Days
Delivery riders are already some of the most vulnerable workers of booming gig economies. During successive heat waves this summer in Italy, it got complicated.
In a First, Uber Agrees to Classify British Drivers as ‘Workers’
The new legal classification, which follows a U.K. court ruling last month, will entitle the workers to more pay and benefits, but stops short of making them employees.
Anime Is Booming. So Why Are Animators Living in Poverty?
The workers who make the Japanese shows the world is binge-watching can earn as little as $200 a month. Many wonder how much longer they can endure it.
Uber Drivers Are Entitled to Worker Benefits, a British Court Rules
The decision was an important victory for labor activists in the U.S. and Europe who are pushing for better wages and stronger protections for gig economy workers.
Delivery Workers in South Korea Say They’re Dying of ‘Overwork’
More than a dozen couriers have died this year. Some died after complaining of unbearable workloads that kept them on the clock from dawn until past midnight.
Why Work From Home When You Can Work From Barbados, Bermuda or … Estonia?
Several countries with fragile tourist economies have started to offer visas that allow foreign nationals to live and work for a period of at least six months.
