The Access Economy

Abstract

This study uses a push/pull framework to determine the viability of substituting traditional jobs for access economy jobs for people who choose to lease their assets. The majority of those who participated in our survey were relatively young (under 40), college-educated men and women. We conducted the analysis using an ordered probit. For most participants the primary reason for taking an access economy job was to earn additional income, while those reporting a less predictable income were more likely to enjoy the job. People with a higher number of dependents were attracted to this activity for its location/flexibility and the ability to take care of family members when not working. The analysis of the data leads us to conclude that people participated in this activity due to a push factor; namely, the need to complement their incomes. This is because more than 70% of those sharing their assets for short periods of time do not expect to obtain more than 10% of their income from this activity over five years. Thus, we conclude that the access economy under current conditions is generally not a viable substitute for traditional employment, in part due to lack of benefits.

• People enter the access economy primarily to obtain additional income.
• The access economy provides location flexibility and ability to take care of family.
• The access economy generates insufficient income to be a substitute to traditional work.