ABSTRACT
Typically associated with low-paid jobs like ridesharing and food delivery, the gig economy has also thrust freelance professionals into global competition for consulting, bookkeeping, marketing, and other white-collar work. Previous research has documented long-standing concerns about labor outsourcing in high-income countries, as well as mixed consequences from the expansion of gig work in developing nations, but little is known about the experience of international competitive pressures within the gig economy. Through interviews with 35 freelance professionals based in New York City, this study examines how American workers perceive the global market and leverage the cachet of their US credentials to command higher wages. Although these high-status workers typically join online platforms to enjoy flexibility and a $1000/day minimum wage, they soon find themselves competing with much cheaper foreign labor. At the same time, Americans with prestigious degrees and employment histories find themselves in high demand for easy, lucrative, and sometimes legally dubious jobs offered by wealthy overseas clients. These workers come to see themselves and their output as especially skillful, deserving a wage premium over labor from developing countries. This perception justifies migration to platforms that cater to higher-end clients, including foreign governments and multinational firms, which enables them to better capitalize on their American credentials.
