ABA Webinar Exploring Antitrust Issues in the Gig Economy Summarized by Analysis Group’s Nandita Krishnaswamy and Juliette Thibaud
March 22, 2023
Manager Nandita Krishnaswamy and Associate Juliette Thibaud have published a recap of the ABA webinar “Antitrust Questions in New Labor Markets” on the ABA’s Antitrust Law Section website. The two economists summarize a panel discussion, moderated by Eddie Hadsoo (Jones Day), that included panelists Rachel Brass (Gibson Dunn), Ioana Marinescu (US Department of Justice and University of Pennsylvania), and Analysis Group Vice President Juliette Caminade. The panel was sponsored by the ABA’s Distribution and Franchising Committee, Media & Technology Committee, and Economics Committee.
Dr. Krishnaswamy and Dr. Thibaud summarize the panelists’ wide-ranging discussion of antitrust issues arising in the context of digital platforms and the gig economy. To kick off the discussion, Dr. Caminade provided an overview of key characteristics of digital platforms. The panelists then went on to explore the current state of the law and public policies that address these issues; the use of economic tools to assess anticompetitive concerns in labor markets; and potential competitive and practical implications of classifying gig workers as independent contractors versus employees. The panelists concluded by debating the role of unionization in mitigating antitrust concerns.